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O P I N I O N
Debunking marketing ROI A successful marketing campaign is difficult to measure using hard metrics, so don’t get caught in the quicksand of trying to quantify nebulous numbers.
I t’s Monday, 9 a.m., and as you get comfortable in an uncomfortable conference chair, one of your firm’s executives says he wants to discuss the return on investment for a recent marketing campaign. At 9 p.m. that night, you should open your home computer and update your resume. If they ask about marketing ROI, then they don’t get it!
Javier Suarez POP MARKETING
relationship-based industry. Most of the time, mar- keting serves to initiate, solidify, and/or maintain those relationships which in turn are the drivers of new opportunities. “I am not trying to destroy the notion that there is a need to apply accountability to marketing efforts, but we do have to recognize that marketing is an investment and not an expense.”
I am not trying to destroy the notion that there is a need to apply accountability to marketing efforts, but we do have to recognize that marketing is an investment and not an expense. Using traditional ROI metrics clouds the true value that marketing brings to the table. Avoid falling prey to ROI, one of the most “beloved” buzzwords in the AEC industry. Here are some things to keep in mind: 1)Time (is rolling on the river). We are not doing a marketing campaign to promote a special package deal on a toilet paper brand that will last a month. Our marketing efforts, even carefully planned and targeted, can take a substantial amount of time to achieve the goal – sometimes it takes years. This is a
See JAVIER SUAREZ, page 4
THE ZWEIG LETTER October 9, 2017, ISSUE 1219
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