Finding the Efficiency/Effectiveness Balance

Budget explains 89% of profit variation in award-winning campaigns. ROI? Just 11%. Yet 65% of senior marketers still believe ROI is the biggest contributor to success.

This week, Elena, Angela, and Rob discuss new research from Les Binet and Will Davis that reveals a major misunderstanding at the heart of modern marketing. For years, marketers have obsessed over efficiency: optimizing clicks, proving short-term ROI, and doing more with less. The team breaks down why budget and reach matter more than most realize, how to escape the "death spiral" of shrinking investments, and what it means to go big or go home with your marketing plan.

Topics covered: 

• [01:00] Why budget is 8x more important than ROI for driving profit
• [03:00] Defining marketing efficiency vs marketing effectiveness
• [11:00] Making the case internally for bigger budgets and broader reach
• [13:00] How this research should change your channel planning
• [19:00] Balancing efficiency and effectiveness in your marketing mix
• [21:00] What creativity at scale really looks like 

 





To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter. 
 

Resources: 
2025 IPA Effectiveness Conference Article: https://ipa.co.uk/news/go-big-or-go-home/
 

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