Microsoft Partners Struggle to Measure Marketing Impact

A new study of UK and Ireland Microsoft partners has revealed that many struggle to prove the marketing impact on their business. Despite investing considerable time and money in marketing, only 47% of partners currently undertake basic marketing reporting, while 43% use enhanced reporting with attribution.

More significantly, 49% either cannot connect marketing activity to pipeline and revenue or are unsure whether they can. This measurement gap sits alongside considerable marketing activity, with partners undertaking an average of nine of the 20 activities measured by the study and planning to add another eight over the next 12 months.

However, their own marketing generates an average of just 22% of new business, while distributor or vendor leads account for 18%, Microsoft referrals 17%, customer referrals and word of mouth 17%, and outbound sales without marketing involvement 15%. There is a notable difference between how marketing is perceived in the boardroom and by those responsible for delivering it.

Some 75% of business owners said they could measure marketing's contribution to pipeline and revenue, compared with just 35% of heads of marketing. Similarly, 64% of owners believed they were receiving good value from marketing, against 40% of marketing heads.