This activity is important because, as a manager, you must be able to determine when to measureor not measureyour IMC program.

Sales alone are not adequate to measure advertising effectiveness since there is often a substantial lag between the ad and the purchase point. Consequently, IMC managers often measure the effectiveness of the program to avoid wasting resources, to consider other options and other creative strategies, and to achieve the IMC objectives. However, the majority of IMC programs are not measured for their effectiveness. There are several reasons why marketing managers do not follow through in measurement.

The goal of this activity is to demonstrate your ability to identify valid reasons for not measuring an IMC program.

Select the most appropriate rationale for not measuring the effectiveness of the IMC program that is explained in the following situations.

1. Disagreement on issue and method of measurement
2. Creative staffs objections
3. Cost
4. Inability to separate contributing elements
5. Time

Match each of the options above to the items below.

• The staff that is responsible for designing and producing the message is often fairly defensive about its work and the final output. If the measurement yields findings that the message, execution, or both are not working, those members of the team may take it personally. Therefore, they often reject the managers desire to test their work.

• The most common reason for not measuring the IMC programs effectiveness.

• The process of promotional effectiveness is very complicated, and there are many diverse techniques to be used at a variety of stages within the development of the communications. Rarely is there a single perfect approach.

• The goal of an IMC is to fully integrate all the communication tools, so the ad is reinforced by PR, social media, and sales promotion, etc. Therefore, it can be very difficult to isolate those effects in the measurement process.

• Getting the message designed, developed, and to the media channel is a complicated process. Stopping and testing the communication may mean the brand will miss the window of opportunity to be placed in a timely manner and effectively.