Foreword to the Fourth Edition

At Google, we had a saying we used quite frequently: “Data beats opinion.” This mantra inspired us to constantly think about how we could increase the ratio of fact to speculation. What do we actually know versus what do we only think we know? The best approach we found was to determine our key performance indicators and then measure how we were doing against them on a regular basis. This allowed us to optimize and expand those programs that were working, while pulling back on those that were not.

In today’s hyper-competitive business landscape, most marketers are compelled to take a similar approach. No longer can marketers rely on conventional wisdom, rules of thumb, or intuition that may have been sufficient in the past.

The challenge, however, for all marketers is knowing what to measure and exactly how to measure it.

That’s where Marketing Metrics comes in. In its first three editions, I’ve found it to be the most comprehensive and authoritative guide to defining, constructing, and using the metrics every marketer needs today. It’s a book I keep handy on my shelf and refer to frequently.

As marketing continues to rapidly evolve, Marketing Metrics continues to stay at the cutting edge. This fourth edition updates and adds more detail on a number of the key metrics, including brand metrics and ROI. Given the increasing importance of online and social metrics, this new edition now dedicates a chapter to them that is separate from traditional advertising metrics. Herein you will also find a section about the metrics for the emerging area of neuro-marketing.

In our experience at Google, marketers who move with speed, make their messages highly relevant, and use data (it beats opinion!) are best positioned for success with today’s buyers and modern media vehicles. I therefore heartily recommend Marketing Metrics as the foundation of the data portion of this three-pronged recipe for marketing success!

Jim Lecinski
Clinical Associate Professor of Marketing, Northwestern University, and former Vice-President of Customer Solutions at Google