I have a dilemma..

Is it a measurement strategy or just a plan?

The base module that kicks off my Measurement Man Framework is ‘Measurement Strategy’. A start that reflects the simple reality:–
no data = no insight.

However, I’m finding that the last thing prospective clients want when they approach me is another ‘strategy’.

By the time I’m called in they simply want to know ‘Why?’

Why have the leads dried up?
Why is our MQL count dismally loaded with SQL duds?
Why is the PPC agency insisting that they are still doing their job well?
Why?, why?, why?… (followed by the inevitable ‘what now?’)

Sometimes it is really difficult to let the client know that the ‘Why?’ will only become apparent when the campaigns are tracked correctly; when the tagging runs throughout the sales funnel; when every funnel twist & turn is measured correctly.
 
So at that stage, when the sales team is screaming out for ‘more’, the PPC agency is playing defensive blocker, the web developer is quietly sobbing in the corner (he thought the landing page was great after spending 4 hours sourcing images on istock), the marketing/communications manager doesn’t really understand the entire process, and the boss is pulling out her hair.

The answer simply calls for a plan.

A plan outlines the specific actions and tools—like tracking events, creating dashboards, or setting KPIs. It’s tactical, detailed, and typically focused on the “what” and “how” of the measurement process.

So what about the ‘Why?’

When the dots are connected, the picture (or ‘why’) will magically appear (aka insight!). Whether it’s a hippopotamus dancing, a man riding a bike, or a fairy waving a wand at the end of the garden, the picture will reveal the true story of the data.

It will, believe it or not, all make sense.

So I think I’m going to change my core module to ‘measurement plan’.
Less angst, less eye rolling, less hesitation,... more hippopotamuses.