A bigger picture of marketing performance
Panelists also questioned whether traditional media metrics adequately capture how marketing impacts business.
Owen argued that ROAS can become misleading when teams evaluate it without considering broader commercial results. “I think at the end of the day, we should be looking at business results, and it’s not just that one-sided view,” Owen shared. “I think that we get stuck on the numbers.”
Newman extended the argument to incrementality. She questioned whether brands place too much emphasis on distinguishing new customers from existing shoppers moving between channels, particularly when a transition to an app can produce a more valuable customer relationship.
For Newman, the more important measure is what happens afterward. “Lifetime value of the customer. That, to me, is the measure of success on every partnership,” Newman explained.
Make holiday loyalty last beyond the season
As the conversation returned to the holidays, panelists considered how brands can tell whether a campaign created a one-time transaction or a more valuable customer relationship over time. Newman called the season a critical window to turn first-time buyers into loyal customers in the new year.
The holidays offer a chance to establish relationships that brands can then nurture long after the initial transaction. “Use this holiday as the moment to build a relationship with a customer,” Willemsen said, emphasizing the importance of “continuing to build a relationship throughout the next year.”
Featured Conversation Leaders
- Jessica Brown, Executive Director, Marketplace and Partnerships, WPP Media
- Lauren Newman, Chief Revenue Officer, Button
- Amie Owen, Chief Client Officer, Flywheel
- Alex Stone, SVP, Managing Director, Enterprise Partnerships, Horizon Media
- Jacqueline Willemsen, General Manager, Omnichannel and Agency, Fetch
- Zoë Ruderman, Chief Content Officer, ADWEEK
