We unravel the criticism against Marketing ROI as a key metric, and explore how to get the balance right between short and long-term measurement.

This series seeks to answer some of the most pertinent questions (or dilemmas) of the modern marketer. Questions that can’t be answered with a simplistic yes or no, but require investigative research, critical thinking and insatiable curiosity. Because “the answer is never the answer” as countercultural novelist Ken Kesey used to say. “What’s really interesting is the mystery. If you seek the mystery instead of the answer, you’ll always be seeking.”

Our first theme – the clash of performance marketing and brand building – permeated the industry huddles with the rise of digital measurement tools, and hasn’t left the spotlight since. In this article, we will argue that if you invest correctly, sales will come – now and in the future. And Marketing ROI plays a critical part in this decision-making process, albeit only offering half of the truth.