VERBATIMS

What process, if any, do you use to measure
the return on marketing investments?
increase in sales, prospect responses, event atttendance
Direct mail response cards
media mix modeling (statistical); results tracking by coding each communication
pre-post awareness studies, pre-post volume lifts
Compairing sales data, promo dates, number of marketing efforts during promotional time frame.
Sales results / new business
Sales
Consumer Sales
marketing mix modeling
Eventual sales vs comparable periods.
Number of replies to direct mail, continuing research that tracks customers' impressions of the company, number of redirected calls, etc.
Still working on it
rev minus cost divided by cost
diary studies
primarily sales data and retail feedback (our customers - retailers, not consumers)
The sum of all costs divided by gross profit
None
Sales/campaign expense Sales/store Sales/employee Changes in LTV or CVM
tracking historical sales data in relation to campaigns.

We keep our marketing pretty limited to direct mail so we can directly measure results.
try to isolate the marketing variable and connect it to actual sales results using various regression techniques
Increases in Share, Vol at the market-week level; Advanced Market Mix analyses with ACNielsen.
Research Consumer behavior tracking
Tracking studies - advertising awareness, sales and attitudes towards product
$ spent vs Incremental Volume
production costs, distribution costs, overhead costs vs. revenue
Lift in sales and/or units, markdown, increase/decrease in Customer count, offers redeemed, increased profit and customer surveys and/or focus groups
track data, assign results, track expenses
surveys with all willing participants
IRI / AC Nielsen incremental data post awareness surveys
We define the measurable objectives up front with the client, what 'success' is to the client, how we're going to get the numbers against each objective, and define any costs associated with that measurement. We assign a researcher to work on each client team to ensure this happens.
bottom line (whether directly tied or not)
None
Sales tracking, brand awareness, ad awareness.
We measure results of a given campaign vs. ROI
surveys
response lift then sales
Recall surveys, intention to buy surveys, actual sales, impact on image
none
it is difficult to design a process of measurement
Track the source of leads and the conversions to sales

determine objectives up-front determine how "success" will be measured
We have a number of measures that we use and we use these in a manner to ensure consistency in how we measure performance across brands.
none
sales vs. trend and vs. year, looking at programs holistically, with potential additions or deletions in tactics
pre and post market research surveys
Financial model Competitive/market share model
Marketing database analysis
capture as much sales and attitudional data as we can ... both through company sources, industry and syndicated services
measure brand building and incremental sales
The Closed Loop Marketing tool ... but it could be more refined still.
MCIF/service bureau
I track the number of prospects (in a mailing, for example), the number of units sold, the cost of the project and the gross return for units sold. Then I can calculate my return or at least know if what I did paid for itself and what targets need to be hit for a decision to commence or continue a marketing project.
Pre and post test measures of pre-disposition to buy
Don't as data not available
Sales, brand awareness, penetration, brand equity measures
depends on the medium
It's usually pretty tough due to lack of good research and benchmarking to measure future efforts. I rely on measuring increase in response.
calculation of incremental product lift ($, units), as well as profitability of the products in question
DM response is obvious. PR exposure usually prompts a "I saw you in....." comment. Mostly the best way is to ask how they found out about your company.
Brand tracking, store traffic and sales hit rate
brand equity
media cuts, sales, public opinion, preccriber opinion vs investment

Research brand identity

post testing
sales modelling, tracking surveys
Pre and Pos advertising market research on brand awareness and brand audit Analysis of impact on sales
there is no process and even if there was it wouldn't work. the marketing conumdrum, the non recurring event makes any measurement obsolete.
Metering calls resulting from ads
sales lift, customer counts, market basket data, retention data (though limited in certain areas of the business)
We have to rely on tracking numbers gathered by the client.
Lead tracking
none
lead conversion awareness/attitude change
simple direct target responses
We prefer direct marketing where return to investment can be measured on very specific terms.
Test test test. We're direct marketers. We wrap up sales, and quantify, but also look to reasons, hunches, suspicions.
None
eyeball correlations on charts
phone surveys
we don't use any process
Several advertisers methods. We are an Ad Agency.
Post-analysis with quantitative (sales) and qualitative analysis.
marketing expenses vs. product o category sales
copy testing

Post-activity or post-event surveys
1. determine costs (direct & indirect) 2. target prospects 3. create message 4. evaluate response from target 5. weigh response from target against past performance/behaviour 6. survey respondents 7. factor in and allow for any uncontrollable influences
tracking/codes when possible
sales awareness market share customer satisfaction investment vs. "industry" value assigned to logo exposure,publicity, in-store exposure, etc.
none
We have just started using UpShot an online CRM database. Hopefully this will help us better track sources for sales leads and thus the successes of some of our marketing programs. We are also encouraging our sales people to ask each lead/potential client if they have heard of us before and how. We also try to do surveys at major trade shows to find out how people have heard of us.
correlation analysis
Sales primarily, sometimes drilling down to profitability.
none
Focus on tactics like loyalty marketing where customer behavior over time can be measured.
Varies by type of investment. Direct mail measures mailed group vs. a control group. For TV, print, and radio we finally recieved funding to hire a firm to do a Market Media Mix Model.
first agree on the role each discipline will play in the overall marketing plan; then agree to metrics to measure the various disciplines on; analyze the results and recommend what to do in the next budget cycle
products sell-out, brand awareness
Surveys
database
Out of pocket cost vs. incremental increase in revenue/profits
Benchmarking, controls & modeling
work with client setting up original objectives, lay out plan to measure from pre-engagement through program. Pray we met original objectives.
unique 1-800 #'s
frequent shopper data
Balanced scorecard.
Estimates of the degree of impact. We know there is impact, we "guess" at the percent of marketing's contribution.

Internal sales
customer surveys
Standard metrics for all but advertising which continues to be elusive.
formal analysis of cost versus sales compared with impact on sales.
Coupon redemption rates, frequency and reach of advertising (cost per), trial and repeat rates via AC Nielsen (new items), little else
Sales lift
sales vs historical performance
sales, inquiries, calls to customer care centre
traffic
Marketing Mix Models
Surveys
lead conversion and CPA analysis
Check sales against prior like periods.
Lead returns, redemptions,
Sales. If sales are up, marketing programs are deemed to be effective. If sales are down, marketing programs are completely revamped.
Incremental sales over a base adjusted for sales trend and price increase. Contribution margin on the incremental sales vs the investment.
On all of our promotions we build in tools to measure effectiveness and Return On Marketing Investment. These are determined in advance of the program's implementation by our Clients sales and marketing departments. Some measures are quantifiable and some are intangible. Typically we measure the tangibles using various measures based on the different client industries and organizational structures.
use our marketing firms data collection mechanisims

lead conversion and CPA analysis
we're a full service agency with a direct response foundation, so we try to make sure that every marketing effort has a trackable component - be it mail, telephone, or web
With direct mail we use (800) numbers to track response rates to different lists and mail pieces. We also use brand tracking studies to gauge changes in brand awareness and preference levels
some mix modeling, more often read: purchase intent packages moved, redemption, trial and repeat, etc
Long Term Value of Customer Transactions, combined with Future Value Assumptions.
Marketing mix modeling.
Tracking surveys
Initial increased sales and incident of repeat business from geopraphic area exposed to marketing programs.
don't have a structured system in place.
Would love to figure this out! I'm all ears ;-)
Bottom line sales
Sales lift
Rev share
Short term payout
Qualitiative results reported to us via fax.
We mostly measure process as opposed to results, which are complex with many variables.
Polling, close customer relationships.

We track sales through our website weekly, we track all campaigns (online and off) with codes, and we run reports, compare all data and make some educated guesses.

projections & guestimates based on experience