Making the case for marketing investment

Effectiveness Research & Analysis

Bringing together the IPA's main presentations of evidence and arguments about why investing in effective marketing pays back for organisations.

(Recommended) Publication: Marketing is an investment Ex-City analyst Ian Whittaker outlines why marketing can be subject to short-term budget cuts when it should be a strategic investment, using survey data and analysis of corporate financial results. (January 2024)

IPA/FT reports: Brand building works - here's the proof Short PDF summaries produced with the FT of key evidence and examples that illustrate the business case for brand building. (2019–ongoing) 

Video: Brand power in an inflationary environment Presentation by Dr Grace Kite of Magic Numbers and VCCP's Steve Taylor on the link between brand building and pricing power. (October 2023)

Webinar: The Third Age of Effectiveness Combining analysis from Les Binet, Dr Grace Kite and Tom Roach on the impact of digital on measurement, marketing returns, and creativity, this session asks if we have entered an era where newer channels and formats can realise their full potential. (June 2023)

Video: Brand investment in challenging times Econometrician Dr Grace Kite analyses the evidence about how the pandemic affected different marketers across categories, using data from the ARC database. (October 2022)

Video: Don't let inflation throttle your marketing ROI Watch Meta's Harry Davison discuss how inflation and higher interest rates can impact returns from marketing in an interview hosted by TransUnion. (October 2022)

Video: Why Brands Matter Using a mixture of data sources, consultancy Brand Finance quantifies how companies benefit financially when they own strong brands. (October 2022)

Video: The rise of intangible asset value An update on Brand Finance's long-running work on the value of brands, highlighting that during COVID strong brands became a haven for capital and a renewed source of business advantage. (October 2021)

Video: Effectiveness of mainstream campaigns Dr Grace Kite's analysis of ROI and other data from ARC's database of econometrically-evaluated campaigns that were not entered into awards competitions. (October 2021)

Blog: The importance of investing in extra share of voice Discussion on findings from the Advertising Council Australia's work on the link between extra share of voice and improved brand and commercial performance. (July 2021)

Video: The Board-Brand Rift Revisited Research on how COVID changed the priorities and practices of business leaders from those identified in the original FT/IPA Board-Brand Rift research. (October 2020)

Publication: Marketing to the CFO This report explores how to achieve a close alignment between marketing and finance, and how to find a shared language and trusted relationship within the business. (June 2020)

Publication: The Board-Brand Rift Based on a Financial Times survey of senior decision-makers, this report discusses how brands and marketing are perceived by boards, identifying differences between marketers and non-marketers. (June 2019)

Publication: Building Bridges with Finance How can marketers better speak the language of finance? A report with examples and advice. You can also watch a presentation. (May & October 2018)

Publication: Effectiveness in Context Read the in-depth analysis of evidence from the IPA Effectiveness Databank by Les Binet & Peter Field, advising on how to achieve the best outcomes across different product categories and types of brand. Or watch this presentation (October 2018)

Publication: Profit Ability – the business case for advertising A report by Thinkbox and econometrics firms Ebiquity and Gain Theory quantifying the impact across more than 2,000 campaigns that different forms for advertising can have on the bottom line. (March 2018)

Publication: Media in Focus Binet & Field's detailed analysis of evidence from the IPA Effectiveness Databank about the combinations of media channels which generate best business outcomes. (June 2017)

Publication: The Long and The Short of It The seminal IPA report on how to balance marketing strategies that work over different timeframes to achieve sought-after business effects. (November 2013)

Publication: Marketing in the era of accountability Binet & Field's original analysis of data from the IPA Effectiveness Databank examining the link between objective setting, creative and media strategies, metrics, and business outcomes. (October 2007)

Last updated 01 May 2024