I've had the pleasure to work closely this year with the Association of National Advertisers on a Thought Leadership Sponsorship.  One of my favorite outcomes of that effort was an e-Magazine titled, "Measures for Success - How to become a more accountable marketing organization."

The title article of that eMagazine was contributed by ANA writer Chuck Kapelke, which included insights from marketing leaders at ANA member companies and other industry experts on how executives can enhance marketing accountability in their companies.  The topic is timely since ANA member company executives surveyed identified "marketing accountability" as the number one area of concern, which is no surprise since marketers everywhere are being asked to justify their budgets and demonstrate impact to the bottom line.

The essence of the article's message is that successfully achieving marketing accountability seems to be a matter of alignment and a commitment to evidence-based decision-making.  The most effective alignment is multi-layered, meaning that from executive-level marketing strategy to individual-contributor execution, all processes need to entail inputs and support from multiple departments, notably finance and operations.  From my perspective, it's that deliberate cross-departmental alignment that turns it into a business strategy that will drive growth for the organization.

The article has great insights from companies such as Ford Motor, Miller Coors, Procter & Gamble and Digitas, and there are four practical steps outlined for how senior marketing leaders can enhance marketing accountability in their companies.  Take a moment to read the article and see how it can apply to your business.