World Federation Of Advertisers and consultant Ebiquity are out with new research that finds that just 14% of major marketers report that marketing and finance departments are on the same page when it comes to defining “effectiveness” and that evaluation still skews to delivery metrics over commercial results such as net profit. 

Along with the research, the WFA is issuing a new handbook designed to help marketers better understand how to get the most out of their media spend and what to do when their array of data and measurement tools suggest diverging actions. 

“As the C-Suite continues to demand that marketing be more accountable, marketers have invested an incredible amount on measurement tools and products to deliver this accountability,” explained Ruben Schreurs, CEO of Ebiquity. “But there remains a disconnect: Even with a large and growing amount of data available, marketers are still slow to make decisions, measure the right things and less than 3% understand short-term and long-term performance versus brand impact.” 

That said, 75% expect more than half of their budget allocation decisions to be measurement-led within three years, even as none of the companies surveyed claim best-in-class measurement capability. 

Ebiquity surveyed 71 senior leaders across 10 sectors globally and conducted in-depth interviews with 27 leaders at major multinational advertisers, collectively responsible for $40 billion in annual advertising spend. 

Findings from the research include: 

"The tools are there, the discipline is there, the coverage is there,” said Sorin Patilinet, Global Marketing Effectiveness & Growth Strategies Innovation at PepsiCo and one of the executives interviewed for the research report. “Where marketers still struggle is to turn all those measurements into decisions that impact the business.” 

The handbook incorporates findings from the research with advice on how to implement connected measurement systems.  

“The organizations that lead on effectiveness are not necessarily those with the most sophisticated tools,” says Tom Ashby, Global Lead, Media Services, WFA.  “As scrutiny of marketing investment intensifies and new channels continue to emerge, the ability to turn evidence into action may become one of the defining competitive advantages for modern marketing organizations.” 

The full research report and handbook are for WFA members Ebiquity clients only.