Return on Strategy (ROS)

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Measurement in marketing is the “only” thing. Are sales increasing? Where? Who’s buying? Who’s not?  How are the ads communicating? What are the ads really saying to consumers about the product? Answers to these questions can help build effective programs. No doubt.

But then there is ROI. Return on investment. If you’re in a marketing or meeting and people are prattling on about ROI, you can bet they aren’t getting it. The whole ROI movement began in the 70s with the birth of direct marketing. Then promotion became the ROI pop marketing darling. Today it is pay-per-click and Internet marketing. But what often falls by the wayside while the Excel geeks are crunching the ROI numbers is the role of the strategy. More specifically, the brand strategy. This needs to be measured first and foremost. Return on strategy (ROS) is a marketing building block most overlook. And it is a long term recipe for failure.