Advertising Executives Grapple With Fragmentation, Turn to ROI Measurement

AdAge reports today, over 900 executives have convened at the annual conference of the Association of National Advertisers to "seek solutions in a fragmented world." Peter Sealey, the former CMO of Coca-Cola, explains the basic problem: “Advertising is becoming digital, personal and controllable."

The bottom line emerging from the meeting seems to be a model centered on targeting, narrowcasting to audience segments, and ROI measurement that provides visibility into the performance of new media tactics. Julie Roehm, director-marketing communications for DaimlerChrysler, explains, “We know the difference between the lifestyles of a Jeep Liberty and a Dodge Caravan owner... With wider media choices you can hit prospects in different ways. It is harder, but the more we can understand the consumer, the more we can connect.”

But instead of partnering with analytics vendors to establish an ROI measurement framework, you can hear CMOs touting the development of new, proprietary platforms that will take years to come to fruition. As Jim Garrity, CMO of Wachovia Bank explains, “I am very satisfied with the progress we’ve made in the last 18 months in building and refining a proprietary marketing ROI model... we also realize our model is in its infancy and it will be years before we fully reap the benefits from it.”

Savvy advertisers have an opportunity during this period of transition to develop strategic partnerships with interactive marketing groups and analytics vendors and hit the ground running with an added layer of accountability in their branding initiatives and marketing campaigns.