The Metrics that Matter: EMMC Better Metrics That Every Marketer Should Consider for Their Events

In today’s marketing landscape, campaigns being implemented are only as good as the data we utilize to evaluate them. Marketers are privy to an exhaustive amount of data – some that is worthwhile and some that is window dressing used to sell a story, rather than demonstrate actual performance.

Several years ago I was featured in an article by eMarketer, where I explained that obtaining an exhaustive amount of data isn’t necessarily a problem for marketers. The key is having a clear purpose and knowing what metrics matter. It’s time for brands and their agencies to be accountable for how marketing initiatives impact business results. 

As a coalition, the EMMC is focused on standardizing measurement within the experiential marketing industry. Various marketing channels offer different data points.  While there are different types of goals and objectives amongst brands, we ought to focus on understanding how the audience perceives the value of an experience, and how these experiences increase the propensity to take action. These two pieces of data work together to showcase cause and effect relationships that work across nearly all scenarios. If the time spent engaging with a brand is deemed valuable, then we would assume the audience will want to continue engaging with the brand in some capacity. 

That said, driving business results is the primary reason for getting marketing budgets in the first place. This is why the EMMC keyed in on evaluating how experiences shift outcomes. By analyzing these two key data points (perceived value and increased propensity to take action), we can determine if there are statistical correlations in the data.

With a short set of core metrics, we provide consistency for marketers everywhere. This further allows us to create benchmarks, while removing ambiguity and interpretation when comparing aggregate data. Since not all events and industries are alike, we leverage a series of metadata to help event marketers look for commonalities among the findings. 

While there is an extraordinary amount of data that can be collected by marketers, always aim to prove business results to the brand. Starting with the end in mind keeps us centered on this most important metric. With the right approach, we should welcome the accountability of our marketing campaigns’ performance.