The Metrics That Marketers Muddle

Despite their widely acknowledged importance, some popular marketing metrics are regularly misunderstood and misused. Here’s how to clear up the confusion that surrounds five common marketing metrics.

By Neil T. Bendle and Charan K. Bagga

Spring 2016

A big challenge for marketing is demonstrating its business value. As the finance function becomes more powerful within companies, some see marketing’s influence as declining.¹ One major reason for marketing’s diminishing role is the difficulty of measuring its impact: The value marketers generate is often difficult to quantify. For example, Target Corp., the Minnesota-based discount retailer, positions itself as fashionable yet affordable. It is difficult to assign ...