6.1 Why Performance Metrics Matter

Metrics are the tools marketing managers use to manage and optimize every element of the marketing mix.

Without metrics, marketers are flying blind. With the right metrics, they can perform the following actions:

• Diagnose which parts of the marketing mix are driving success

• Identify which tactics are underperforming and need adjustment

• Allocate budget more effectively across product development, pricing tactics, promotion, and distribution

• Justify their marketing investments to leadership with credible, data-driven results

Without clear metrics, even well-intentioned marketing efforts can become disjointed—what some experts call “random acts of marketing.” These are isolated campaigns, discounts, or social posts launched without a strategic connection to financial goals. They might generate short-term attention, but they rarely build lasting revenue or customer loyalty.

Using metrics keeps marketing purposeful, measurable, and aligned with the company’s growth objectives.

When Procter & Gamble (P&G) launched Febreze in the late 1990s, it was developed as a revolutionary odor-eliminating spray. Chemists had designed a compound called cyclodextrin that could trap and neutralize bad smells. The product tested flawlessly in the lab. Early marketing focused on Febreze’s odor-fighting power, targeting consumers who owned pets or smoked.

But sales were disappointing.

Despite a sizable launch budget and national distribution, Febreze wasn’t moving off shelves. P&G’s metrics painted a grim picture: low repeat purchases and little growth. Traditional marketing data—awareness, trial rates, and household penetration—all pointed to a product heading for failure.

P&G’s Febreze performance metrics across the entire marketing mix:

• Product: Usage studies showed customers saw Febreze as a “heavy-duty odor killer,” not a daily freshener.

• Pricing: Elasticity testing revealed that small changes in price didn’t significantly affect purchase intent—giving room for premium positioning.

• Promotion: Ads were missing the mark. Metrics on ad recall and persuasion were low.

• Place (Distribution): Retail sell-through data showed Febreze moved faster when placed in the air freshener aisle, not the cleaning aisle.

• Social/Behavioral: Focus groups and in-home ethnography revealed that users linked Febreze use with a rewarding “finishing touch” after cleaning.

The Pivot: P&G repositioned Febreze from an odor eliminator to a daily freshener and revised the ads to highlight the emotional satisfaction of a freshly cleaned home. P&G’s repositioning came from watching what customers actually did, not just what they said.

Researchers noticed that the few loyal Febreze customers weren’t using the product to fight bad smells. They were using it to finish their cleaning rituals. After vacuuming or making the bed, they’d spray Febreze to create a feeling of freshness and accomplishment.

Armed with this insight, P&G overhauled Febreze’s positioning and promotional strategy:

• New messaging: Febreze wasn’t just odor control. It became the “finishing touch” to a clean home.

• Advertising: Commercials showed people spraying Febreze as the final step in their cleaning routine, not just when something smelled bad.

• Packaging: Packaging was updated to emphasize freshness and ease of use.

The result? Sales skyrocketed. Febreze became one of P&G’s fastest-growing brands, now generating over $1 billion in annual revenue. Febreze metrics improved across the board—from usage rates and pricing power to promotional ROI and distribution pull-through.