Marketing performance: aligning people, processes, and results

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to integrate and extend existing knowledge about marketing performance assessment, making a case for a measurement system identifying five categories of metrics on which attention should be focused. Design/methodology/approach The paper is organized in three parts. It starts with a summary of the current state of knowledge about marketing performance assessment, followed by the presentation of the model in terms of its rationale and architecture. Then, the metrics that make up the model are explained and operationalized. Lastly, a concluding note is presented. Findings Both scholars and managers have been calling for methods and concepts addressing the how and why marketing succeeds or fails. The author believes that certain metrics, when integrated into a holistic and actionable framework, can have a positive and transformational impact on the way marketing is measured in organizations. Originality/value Metrics are meaningless when viewed in isolation. Yet, most of the literature on the subject focus on individual indicators. Also, it tends to overemphasize marketing outcomes. This work offers a complementary view to what has already been written on the subject, suggesting a performance assessment model that highlights requirements/prerequisites, processes, outcomes and organizational context.