Too many marketing teams jump to "what's next" without deeply understanding what's already happened. Research, measurement, and analytics are the foundation of forward motion. And yet, in many organizations, this foundation is shallow: a lone customer survey, a basic attribution model, or a GA dashboard passed off as insight.
A high-performing marketing function begins with discipline. There must be a plan to evaluate the brand's past performance, consumer relevance, and competitive position. There must be a budget, even a modest one, to run meaningful studies. And there must be systems for making that knowledge accessible across the organization.
Here are the key components we look for:
1. Annual Research Planning + Budget: Research isn’t a luxury. It’s a line item. Each fall, as part of marketing planning, the team should pause and ask:
The resulting plan should include both primary and secondary research initiatives, with an allocated budget.
Tools like SurveyMonkey Audience allow you to purchase sample panels and generate directional findings for a few hundred dollars. OnePulse is a great tool for consistent, bite-sized feedback cycles. And ChatGPT can now support research analysis techniques that previously required a consultant.
2. Internal Knowledge Hub: Research isn’t helpful if no one can find it.
A good team centralizes its research findings in one accessible hub. That includes:
Documentation is a cultural signal. If knowledge isn’t organized, it won’t be referenced. And if it’s not referenced, teams will default to hunches.
3. Measurement Maturity: Superficial metrics create superficial decisions. High-performing teams measure beyond clicks.
We look for:
The goal is not complexity. It’s clarity.
4. ROI Discipline at the Department Level: ROAS is not ROI.
Smart teams calculate the fully loaded return on their marketing investment, which includes:
This helps clarify the real impact of the marketing function—and whether scale is justified.
Closing Thought: Insight is a Practice
Insight is not an event. It’s not a single report or presentation. It’s a system, a habit, and a commitment.
If you haven’t budgeted for research next year, you don’t really plan to learn.
If you don’t know where your past research lives, you don’t really value it.
If you’re not using modern tools to ask better questions and synthesize better answers, you’re leaving insight to luck.
The most competitive companies don’t guess. They measure, learn, and then move.