If you had to guess the percentage of executives today who say they closely measure the ROI of their marketing efforts, what would your answer be?  And would you expect that percentage to increase or decrease over the next three to five years?

I just finished reading a study of the top ten megatrends in B2B marketing from the Economist Intelligence Unit.  Their findings report that 39% of executives today measure their efforts.  That percentage is expected to grow to a staggering 89% in the next three to five years.

And it’s not just measuring the ROI of campaigns, but the ROI of the entire marketing function.

Everyone is under pressure to deliver. I find that some companies we talk with are feeling it, but are not fully committed to establishing the necessary metrics.  They talk the talk, but don’t like the prospects of the walk itself.

The primary reason is that it drives accountability and leaves little room for avoiding the consequences of under delivery.

It’s time to embrace the idea that we should demand to know the marketing ROI of every effort.  Thought leadership around this issue needs to evolve at many levels within organizations.

Those that get on board with the idea will be the ultimate winners. The rest will simply be left behind.