Tighter budgets spotlight ROI

29 July 2010

US companies have tightened up their measurement and accountability systems in the wake of economic constraints, according to a Forbes Insight report.

The Accountability Evolution: Marketers Turn to Metrics to Boost Their Strategic Value found that 68% of senior marketing executives use some metrics for measuring effectives and ensuring accountability. However, only 56% have a defined system in place.

Meanwhile, 58% of those with budgets below $1m placed more emphasis on the use of metrics, while those with budgets exceeding $1m preferring to focus on ‘the big idea’.

Jon Vein, co-founder and chief executive of Marketshare Partners, who carried out the survey, believes that the results show that a need for companies to look at their accountability programes.  “In the existing economic environment, CMOs want a more quantifiable measure of their return on investment, and more accountability than ever before is required of them,” he said.

The survey was conducted between February and April this year across 103 senior marketing executives.   

Josh Colley, London