Stop Trying to Measure Everything, Use an Outcome-Focused Lens Instead

Stop Trying to Measure Everything, Use an Outcome-Focused Lens Instead

Marketing Strategy — Fri., Sep. 29, 2023

A map is a metaphor for many things, but has limitations. Polish American philosopher and engineer penned the phrase "the map is not the territory" to remind us of this. Metrics are messy and often do not match up to reality. To update our map, we should focus on outcomes and impact, instead of effort and output.

Using a different lens, we can look at our map and think of our marketing WHY, and how to define successful outcome or impact. Macro and micro details should be tracked, with quarterly analysis and rolling averages. A few key signals should be monitored, and new and better methods will emerge over time.

At the end of the day, every metric is an abstraction of the impact we have on humans. Outcome-based marketing is successful, and marketers should focus on outputs, outtakes and outcomes. Mistakes are made when metrics don't matter to top management, so let's go straight to the source and keep fiddling with the dashboard.

... continue reading below
Sign up for free to read the full article.
Enter your email address to continue reading

Stop Trying to Measure Everything, Use an Outcome-Focused Lens Instead

Don't worry ... it's FREE!

Already a member? Sign in now.

Related Articles

Brands & Politics: Do People Want Brands to Weigh In More?

Brands & Politics: Do People Want Brands to Weigh In More?

Although people globally are torn over whether brands should weigh in on politics more, most say they have made brand choices to express their own personal politics, according to recent research.

How European B2B Marketers Succeed With Authentic Marketing: Data Privacy and Trust

How European B2B Marketers Succeed With Authentic Marketing: Data Privacy and Trust

See how European B2B marketers are succeeding by prioritizing authenticity and data privacy best-practices. Discover takeaways for US marketers. Read more.

Why a Purpose-Driven Marketing Strategy Matters in B2B

Why a Purpose-Driven Marketing Strategy Matters in B2B

Learn how integrating purpose into your B2B strategy builds trust, strengthens client partnerships, and drives business growth. Read more now.

B2B Marketing Budgets in 2025: Spend and Priority Trends

B2B Marketing Budgets in 2025: Spend and Priority Trends

Most B2B professionals expect their firm's marketing budget will either increase or stay the same in 2025, according to recent research.

We Don't Need Your Pride, We Need Your Respect: The LGBTQ+ Community and Corporate America

We Don't Need Your Pride, We Need Your Respect: The LGBTQ+ Community and Corporate America

An impassioned argument that corporate Pride often falls short of meaningful allyship, focusing instead on commerce and misunderstanding the LGBTQ+ community as a monolithic group. Read more.

How to Align Product and Marketing Teams Through Positioning

How to Align Product and Marketing Teams Through Positioning

Learn how a positioning framework can align product and marketing teams, reducing confusion and improving outcomes. Read more.

Subscribe to the MarketingProfs Today newsletter