Writing advertising objectives you can measure

"We want to be better known." "We need more enquiries." "The brand should be stronger." These are directions, not objectives, and a campaign cannot be judged against them.

The four components

A number. How much, in units you can count. Not "more" but "320".

A date. By when. Open-ended objectives are never missed and never achieved.

A baseline. From what. Without knowing today's figure, the result cannot be interpreted.

A method. How it will be measured, agreed in writing before the start, including who produces the figure and from which system.

Bad and better

Qualified is a word that needs defining

"340 enquiries" invites gaming. Define what counts: which enquiries are excluded, which minimum information must be present, whether repeat contacts count once or twice.

Write the definition down. Six months later nobody remembers what was meant, and the number becomes unusable.

Objectives that pull against each other

Some pairs cannot both be maximised. Lowering cost per enquiry and raising enquiry volume typically conflict, because cheaper enquiries run out. Reach and precision conflict. Speed and quality conflict.

Name the trade-off in the objective: "340 enquiries at a cost per enquiry no higher than £95". That tells the person running the campaign what to sacrifice when they must choose.

The baseline problem

Many firms cannot state a baseline because nobody measured before. That is a reason to start measuring now, not a reason to skip the objective.

Set the first campaign as a measurement period with a provisional target. Its real value is the baseline it establishes for the second one.

Review at the halfway point

Objectives set for six months should be reviewed at three, with one question: on current trajectory, will this be reached? If not, either the campaign changes or the objective does, deliberately and in writing.