Why most marketing teams can't tell you what actually works

When I start a new interim assignment, I use an assessment matrix to quickly understand which channels are actually delivering profitable growth. In most businesses the answer involves three spreadsheets, a dashboard nobody trusts, and phrases like "it isn't straightforward because…" Translation: they don't know.

This isn't about incompetent marketing teams. It's structural. Many marketing teams use legacy measurement approaches that haven't kept pace with how consumers actually buy. They're using last-click attribution in an omnichannel environment, tracking vanity metrics that make activity look successful, and working with agencies who have every incentive to protect their own budgets rather than optimise total spend.

The problem usually starts with how marketing success is defined. Teams measure impressions, click-through rates, engagement and reach: all activities, none outcomes. These metrics tell them whether someone saw an ad or opened an email, but nothing about whether they bought profitably or came back. I've sat through presentations where agencies showcased impressive engagement numbers and nobody noticed that customer acquisition costs were up 30%.

Attribution is often a mess. Most businesses still rely on simple models that give all the credit to the last click before purchase, which systematically undervalues brand building, content and early-funnel activity. Multi-touch attribution needs integration between systems that often don't talk to each other: CRM, ad platforms, eCommerce and point-of-sale data all sit in separate silos. So teams default to whatever their agencies report, which coincidentally always shows that agency's channels performing well.

I've seen this play out repeatedly across sectors. A retail chain spending seven figures on TV and outdoor while all its measurable growth came from email and a loyalty scheme it barely invested in. A hospitality group unable to separate branded from generic paid search, so it kept funding expensive campaigns that mostly captured demand that would have converted anyway. An FMCG brand with no clear view of trade spend ROI by retailer, just acceptance that "promotional support is what the category requires".

The consequences compound over time. Agencies optimise for metrics they control rather than business outcomes, and when growth stalls nobody can say what to cut or where to double down, because there's no holistic view.

What proper measurement looks like

• Contribution margin by acquisition channel, accounting for the full cost to serve different customer types.
• Cohort analysis showing lifetime value by source, so you know whether cheap social media customers come back or churn immediately.
• Attribution frameworks that reflect real customer journeys. If people research for weeks before buying, measurement needs to reflect that.

To find out more about effective marketing measurement, get in touch.