If you want a bigger marketing budget, prove your value
If you’re still sending fluffy marketing reports filled with vanity metrics, don’t be surprised when your budget gets cut or sidelined. In engineering-driven industries like automotive and defence, marketing only earns its seat at the table when it speaks the language of business. That means hard numbers, clear ROI, and a direct link to commercial performance.
It’s not your CEO’s or CFO’s job to “get” marketing – it’s your job to make it impossible to ignore.
At CMB Automotive Marketing, we build marketing strategies that are commercially accountable from the ground up. Here’s how to choose the right KPIs and metrics to demonstrate marketing’s true value to the business and secure the marketing investment your brand deserves.
So what should you actually be reporting? Forget the fluff – these are the metrics that matter to the boardroom. The ones that prove marketing isn’t just a cost, but a commercial growth engine…
Short-Term Commercial Performance
Metrics that prove marketing delivers now.
If you want more marketing budget, start by proving marketing’s commercial impact today, not next year. Metrics like CAC, SQLs, and pipeline contribution cut through the noise and show exactly how marketing is driving revenue and growth. These are the numbers that CFOs and CEOs care about because they speak in the universal language of business performance: cost, return, and efficiency. In a results driven sector like automotive or defence, where every investment is scrutinized, marketers must show how every dollar spent moves the commercial needle.
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
What it is: The total cost of acquiring a new customer, including marketing and sales expenses.
Why it matters: CFOs want to know if marketing is cost-effective. A high CAC might suggest inefficiencies or targeting issues.
How to measure: Divide total sales and marketing spend by the number of new customers acquired in the same period.
How to report: Compare CAC over time and benchmark against customer lifetime value (CLV) to assess ROI.
Marketing-Qualified Leads (MQLs) and Sales-Qualified Leads (SQLs)
What they are: MQLs are prospects who’ve shown interest; SQLs are vetted by sales as ready to buy.
Why they matter: They track funnel progression and help quantify marketing’s contribution to revenue.
How to measure: Use lead scoring and CRM data to segment and track progression.
How to report: Highlight conversion rates between MQLs to SQLs and SQLs to closed-won opportunities, tying lead quality to actual revenue.
Marketing Efficiency Ratio (MER)
What it is: A high-level measure of revenue generated per dollar spent on marketing.
Why it matters: It’s a simple way for CFOs to see ROI from marketing spend.
How to measure: Revenue attributed to marketing ÷ total marketing spend.
How to report: Show changes in MER over time, particularly before and after strategic campaigns or spend changes.
Pipeline Contribution and Marketing-Sourced Revenue
What it is: The share of the sales pipeline and closed revenue that originated through marketing efforts.
Why it matters: This is one of the most direct indicators of marketing’s role in growth.
How to measure: Use CRM attribution to track campaign touchpoints leading to deals.
How to report: Break it down by campaign, channel, or region. Present as a percentage of total revenue or pipeline.
Time to Revenue
What it is: The time it takes for marketing-attracted leads to convert into revenue.
Why it matters: Faster conversion means better cash flow and quicker returns on marketing spend.
How to measure: Average days from first marketing interaction to closed-won status.
How to report: Highlight reduced time-to-revenue following specific campaigns or initiatives.
Content and Channel Performance Metrics (With a Purpose)
What they are: Engagement rates, dwell time, bounce rates, etc.—when tied to broader objectives.
Why they matter: Not every metric needs to be financial, but they should be directional indicators of pipeline movement or brand resonance.
How to measure: Use analytics tools to track content consumption and user journeys.
How to report: Focus less on vanity metrics and more on how content moves prospects through the funnel or supports sales enablement.
Long-Term Brand and Strategic Value
Metrics that build tomorrow’s competitive advantage.
Brand may be a little more intangible, but its value is very real, when measured properly. Strategic brand investments shape pricing power, customer loyalty, market resilience, and talent attraction. Yet too often, these long term levers are underreported or dismissed because they don’t show immediate ROI. That’s a mistake. The strongest brands in the sector don’t win by outspending, they win by outlasting. Metrics like brand equity, share of voice, customer lifetime value, and even price premium are essential for proving that brand isn’t just marketing fluff – it’s a core business asset. CFOs and CEOs should care, because brand strength today is future revenue secured.
Brand Equity Metrics
What they are: Indicators of how your brand is perceived in terms of trust, relevance, differentiation, and emotional connection.
Why they matter: High brand equity influences buying decisions and loyalty.
How to measure:
- Conduct qualitative research and NPS (Net Promoter Score) tracking.
- Use customer sentiment analysis across channels.
How to report: Tie brand equity improvements to downstream commercial impacts like improved conversion rates or reduced churn.
Brand Awareness and Share of Voice (SOV)
What it is: Brand awareness measures recognition and recall; SOV is your visibility compared to competitors in media or search.
Why it matters: Strong brands command higher margins, reduce CAC, and are more resilient in downturns.
How to measure:
Brand awareness: Run regular brand surveys in target markets.
SOV: Track digital presence (SEO, social, PR) using tools like SEMrush, Meltwater, or Brandwatch.
How to report: Show growth over time and link brand strength to increased inbound leads, pricing power, or talent acquisition.
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
What it is: The total net profit a business expects from a customer throughout their relationship.
Why it matters: When paired with CAC, CLV helps assess the true efficiency and sustainability of your marketing investments.
How to measure: Average purchase value × number of transactions × average customer lifespan.
How to report: Benchmark CLV against CAC to identify profitable customer segments and long-term ROI of campaigns.
Brand-Driven Price Premium
What it is: The extra margin you can command in pricing due to brand strength.
Why it matters: Strong brands reduce price sensitivity, defend margins, and lower sales pressure.How to measure: Use pricing studies, competitor
benchmarking, and willingness-to-pay research.
How to report: Show how brand campaigns influence average deal size or margin improvements.
Support: McKinsey reports that strong brands can command a 13% price premium over weaker competitors in B2B categories.
Share of Search (SoS) – Brand Health Proxy
What it is: The proportion of branded search volume your company holds vs. competitors.
Why it matters: SoS is a predictive indicator of future market share.
How to measure: Google Trends and search analytics compared to competitor volumes.
How to report: Correlate SoS growth with actual market share or lead gen uplift.
Support: According to Les Binet (Adam&EveDDB), Share of Search is a strong leading indicator of market share in B2B and B2C categories alike.
Brand Investment-to-Growth Ratio
What it is: A ratio that links brand spend to long-term business growth.
Why it matters: Demonstrates the compounding, longer-term commercial return of brand building.
How to measure: Track marketing investment in brand vs. 12–24-month revenue or market share growth.
How to report: Use case studies or category data to show time-lagged effects of brand campaigns.
Support: The IPA’s long-term studies show that brand building delivers stronger profit growth than activation-led campaigns when measured over 3+ years.
Connecting Brand Strategy to Business Results
Marketing’s role isn’t just to support the business, it helps shape it. Strong brands reduce reliance on discounts, attract partners and talent, and create defensible market positions. Yet, these benefits often go unreported because they don’t show up in short-term spreadsheets.
The key is to align brand building efforts with commercial KPIs, using a mix of data, insight, and storytelling to prove how today’s marketing investments drive tomorrow’s business value.
Final Thoughts
Accountability Builds Influence
Automotive Marketing leaders who communicate in the language of CFOs and CEOs earn more credibility and more influence. By tying strategy to accountability, automotive marketers move from cost centres to growth partners.
Emphasising Brand’s Commercial Power
In markets prone to commoditisation, such as automotive components or defence supply chains, a trusted brand is often the only thing separating premium margins from price wars. Brand isn’t fluff – it’s future revenue.
At CMB, we work with brands to build strategy-first marketing plans that are both creatively bold and commercially rigorous. If you’re ready to elevate your marketing from activity to impact, get in touch with us today
