The ROI Framework We've Used for 700+ Campaigns Across 21 Industries

After 25+ years and 700+ campaigns, we've distilled our ROI thinking into a repeatable framework any brand can apply — with or without an agency.

Why Most ROI Reporting Is Backwards

Most agencies report ROI after the budget's already spent. By the time the numbers come in, the only decision left is whether to renew. Across roughly 700 campaigns in 21 industries, we've found a framework only really earns the name if it's changing decisions while the money's still moving, not just explaining them afterwards.

The Framework in Three Layers

Pretty much the same three layers, every time:

• 01Attribution clarity. We agree what counts as a result and how it gets tracked before a campaign launches, so nobody's arguing about the numbers once results start coming in.
• 02Compounding channels. Some channels pay off in week one. Others are building something — an audience, a following, a reputation — that pays off over years. Both matter, they just need different patience and different measurement.
• 03Kill criteria, agreed in advance. The hardest call in ROI is admitting something isn't working. Setting the threshold before launch means cutting a channel is following a plan, not an awkward conversation nobody wants to start.

Applying It Across 21 Industries

The categories couldn't be more different — automotive, FMCG, banking, logistics, fashion — but the same three layers hold up every time, because none of them are really about the channel. They're about deciding what counts as success before the campaign gives you a reason to quietly move the goalposts.

Using It Without an Agency

You genuinely don't need us for this part. Agree your attribution model before you spend a pound. Split the channels that need to compound from the ones that need to convert today. And write down, before you start, what would actually make you stop. Most ROI problems aren't measurement problems — they're just a decision that never got made early enough to matter.