Marketing Metrics:: Status of Six Metrics in Five Countries

A study of marketing expenditure in five industrial countries found that most firms regularly report one or more of six marketing metrics to the Board. Market share (79 per cent) and perceived product/service quality (77 per cent) are most used, while estimated customer or segment lifetime value is reported used by only 40 per cent of firms. There are significant country differences, with German firms claiming to be the heaviest users and Japanese firms the lightest. There is a consistent pattern of intended increased use in the future for all metrics in all countries. Statistical analysis suggests that the six metrics are complementary in practice: most firms adopting metrics tend to measure several rather than picking just one, the average being 3.9 out of the six studied here. The paper concludes with suggested areas for future research.