gauging the present as a predictor of the future

Tracking is the dirty word around my agency these days.

As a young brand planner, I am beginning to realize the importance of having a structured tracking process in place for your campaign so that you can be nimble with regard to messaging.

Think about the way that a horse track or Nascar speedway works. They are incredibly over-engineered pieces of ground. During a race, every inch of the people who perform in these environments is measured in some way: speed, agility, distance. The ultimate measure of success is who can make it across the finish line first. Depending on your position during the race, you may have to change your strategy moving into the future. (This picture is of Richmond International Raceway, the speedway that my former civil engineering firm Timmons Group is responsible for engineering.)

So what is *your* brand's ultimate measure? Depending on if you are a packaged product, service, extension of the government or pnp, your brand has several different values that contribute to its overall success (or failure). For a hotelier, the ultimate measure is occupancy but other values might include inquiries through phone call or website visits, as well as articles published in the newspaper and how the concierge greets the customer. Is every single message consistent? Ultimately, you want to look, and sound, like a more consistent brand.

During new business pitches, it is extremely important to demonstrate the agency's desire and aptitude for tracking, even outside of the client's "ultimate measure." I think a system of tracking, whether one is not in place or not custom enough, is a big reason why agencies lose business, as well as a why clients lose customers. By becoming a business partner with your clients, you are creating an emotional connection with them.