The Marketing Accountability Imperative

Marketing opportunities have exploded in the last decade, increasing customer touch-points far beyond the traditional print, television, radio, and out-of-home categories. At the same time, audience groups have become increasingly fragmented, making it more and more difficult for marketers to cost-effectively communicate with mass targets.

In their book The Marketing Accountability Imperative, authors Michael E. Dunn and Chris Halsall examine the complexities of marketing and its changing face in our increasingly technology-obsessed, fragmented buying world. Focusing on what is perhaps marketing’s most persistent downfall—its lack of accountability to real fiscal results, Dunn and Halsall present three simple truths to guide marketing spending. 1) The only reason to invest in marketing is to make money; 2) good marketing inspires the right behavioral response in customers; 3) marketing spending does not influence customer behavior as a direct cause-and effect.