Marketing Metrics in Action

Book excerpt: Talk about marketing accountability has become almost commonplace. Most marketing executives understand the need to know the numbers. The real question is, Which numbers? Marketing Metrics in Action: Creating a Performance-Driven Marketing Organization answers those questions and addresses those problems with a balance of sound theory and technique and practical application. The author, a veteran of marketing on both sides"the client side and the consultant side"explains how you need to begin by identifying the elements of the right culture. First, every company's product makeup, competitive situation, resources, and internal strengths and weaknesses differ. So do its needs for particular metrics. It is necessary to be able to identify which metrics matter to your organization's circumstances. Next it is necessary to create a culture of accountability. Everyone in the organization has to be "and be seen as being"on the same side and n the same page. Finance can't be seen as the enemy, and Sales and Marketing need work especially hard to coordinate their efforts. But this sense of accountability needs to extend from the C-Suite to the customer service and order entry people. Quality approaches and sophisticated ideas then become much more productive in the marketplace. A metrics audit will help establish where you are now, and mapping will enable you to align processes to better develop your dashboard. This book provides wise counsel for identifying which metrics matter most to your organization and practical guidance for putting all the sophisticated marketing tools to profitable use in your company.