The DMA’s Meaningful Marketing Measurement 2021 report, which is based on more than 850 entries to the DMA Awards since 2017, found that 41% of metrics highlighted campaign delivery performance rather than a true estimation of effectiveness relating to response, brand and business effect.

Of the 167 measures of effectiveness identified in the research, 59% related to response, brand and business measures.

The report concluded that marketers should try to leave campaign delivery metrics in their media planning and auditing document, and instead focus on getting 100% of campaign effectiveness measures to relate to response, brand or business impact.

Tim Bond, director of insight at the DMA, said: “As marketing professionals, we should be constantly striving to unearth new, rich data sources that contribute to both our understanding of marketing effectiveness and the measurement of this effectiveness. As such, we must all also try to be better measurement professionals too.”