WHY OUTCOMES MATTER - JUDGING THE SABRE EMEA AWARDS WITH ELLY KESTENBAUM

Fresh from judging four categories (and 94 entries - phew!) at the Sabre EMEA Awards and one thing is disappointingly apparent – many agencies are still relying too much on coverage and reach results and not enough on the outcomes – the behavioural, attitudinal and commercial change which really makes a difference to our clients’ bottom line. 

I'd say 80-90% of the entries fell into this category.  The entries may have been beautifully designed, led by relevant insights, and strategically spot on. They may have had a stunning creative at their core. But if the results are just coverage results, it's just not enough.

Did these campaigns meet the objectives? Did they affect change? Did they change perceptions?

Quite possibly they have done all of those things. Yet we wouldn't know as these metrics were not measured.

If a client instructs an agency to run a campaign to raise awareness of their product or service, fine. But what was the awareness of that product or service before the campaign began. And how was it measured? And was this measurement repeated after the campaign? Was there a business impact? Did the campaign do anything to alter the perceptions of the brand or issue?

If this simple and mildly scientific metric was not put in place from the objectives’ stage then, in my view, it doesn't deserve a shortlist, even if everything else about the campaign was brilliant.

Tin Man’s Heart Monitor evaluation tool uses bespoke measurements dependent on a client’s objectives to track perception change, sales, visits, engagements, sign ups, sentiment – whatever’s needed to meet and surpass the objectives.

It was clear from this judging experience that as an industry, we need to do more. If we want to develop lead creatives, become indispensable and unlock bigger budgets, we need to go beyond the media numbers and prove the difference our campaigns can make.