Perhaps the reason we have difficulty determining ROI from our advertising investments is because we tend to view all ads as if they are equally effective.

You only have to watch a dozen TV commercials or leaf through a dozen magazine ads to confirm that all ads are not created equal.  The chart below shows just how differently ads perform to create brand awareness, generate a call-to-action, or communicate a benefit.

Since often it is not just your advertising investment, but also that of your competitors, you need to know competitive ad spend for each creative and the effectiveness of each competitive ad.

While challenging, following this approach promises to make a real difference in understanding the impact of our communications investments.