Rebuilding Trust in Marketing Metrics and Measurement
This hypothetical, illustrative scenario for regulated growth environments reflects how I approach leadership decisions.
Engagement begins with understanding the client’s team, constraints, and priorities, then translating that perspective into a practical, right-sized execution plan.
This scenario reflects patterns observed across 20+ years in financial services leadership, including SVP-level experience at credit unions managing $4B+ in assets.
Primary Focus:
Metrics & Roles
Roles: CEO, CFO
Metric Focus: Strategic Alignment, Growth & Acquisition, Operational Efficiency & Margin
Scenario Value:
Many institutions have access to more marketing data than ever before, yet confidence in that data is uneven. This scenario illustrates how senior marketing leadership might restore trust in marketing metrics as decision inputs.
Context:
Marketing teams produce regular reports, dashboards, and attribution views. Activity is visible, but leadership discussions often stall when metrics are questioned or interpreted differently.
Decisions feel slower and less grounded than they should.
The Leadership Consideration
The issue is rarely a lack of data. More often, it is unclear which signals matter most and how they should inform leadership decisions. Marketing must bridge that gap.
The Leadership Question
- How can marketing measurement be structured to support confidence, clarity, and action at the leadership level?
- Which metrics deserve executive attention?
- How should uncertainty be communicated honestly?
- What does “good enough” measurement look like for decision-making?
Hypothetical Operating Approach
If engaged, a senior marketing leader would focus on simplifying, not expanding, the measurement conversation.
Prioritize decision-level metrics.
Measurement would be organized around the questions leadership is trying to answer, rather than around channels or tools.
Separate insight from instrumentation.
Leadership discussions would focus on interpretation and implications, not the mechanics of data collection.
Establish shared definitions and expectations.
Marketing, finance, and executive stakeholders would align on which metrics can and cannot be reliably used.
Operational Impact
Operating Considerations
- Data consistency across systems
- Attribution complexity
- Executive reporting cadence
- Cross-functional trust
Representative Impact Areas
Applied effectively, this approach could reasonably support:
- Greater confidence in marketing insights
- Faster, more decisive leadership discussions
- Reduced debate over data validity
- Stronger alignment between marketing activity and business decisions
Testimonials
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Eric is a passionate marketer and digital expert who shines in financial services. He’s a natural collaborator full of smart, innovative ideas—a combination of creativity and execution that’s hard to find. He’s the strategic partner who can execute effectively and elevate the people around him.
Chief Experience Officer
What sets Eric apart is his ability to connect the dots between technology, user experience, and business impact. He makes innovation happen by optimizing workflows, championing a customer-first mindset, and leading high-performing teams.
Senior Digital Marketing Manager
What truly stands out about Eric is his exceptional leadership in guiding [a] team through forward-thinking initiatives that drive impactful results. He is a respectful and visionary thought leader who consistently identifies opportunities for immediate success and long-term growth and sustainability.
Senior Product Marketing Director