We’ll be delivering a recap report tomorrow that highlights the success of a marketing campaign, the integration of that campaign into a sampling program, and how the combination of the two drove purchase among consumers.
This wasn’t an easy study. There are often a lot of interested parties with a lot of different perspectives on how best to execute the evaluation of a sampling program. A part of our job is to be the experts but also find ways to integrate that expertise into the variety of opinions and needs of a multi-faceted team.
After all, if you piss off the stakeholders, it doesn’t matter what your report says or how positive the results are, the story won’t be heard.
So how do we measure sample marketing performance?
We listen carefully. We work to understand what is being asked for as well as what is needed (the two are not always the same). And we put multiple solutions on the table. When you can offer multiple solutions and let the team decide as a group how to proceed, everyone can see how each party is giving and taking. The result is a solution that works for everyone.
Measuring marketing is tricky. It’s tricky because you’re measuring how well some people are doing their job. If the research team doesn’t fully understand this and approach the effort with both integrity and compassion, things will fall apart.
I’m happy to report that I go into tomorrow’s recap confident we found the balance. We’ll be able to paint a clear picture for the team and use the results to inform, educate, celebrate successes, and establish best practices to make future activations even better.