WAIPA Annual Report 2011

WAIPA Report of Activities 2011-2012
Although resources are tight and
the pressure to prove the impact of
activities has never been greater, a
majority of IPAs do not measure the
impact of their marketing activities.
This is surprising, as some form of
measurement would help to target
activity on those that produce
the biggest return on investment.
This suggests that although many
members focus resources, the
decision where to focus is reactive to
cost pressures, or to the perceived
shift in clients behaviour as they
move online. IPAs decision on where
to spend might be reactive to political
directives, rather than a proactive,
rational, independently tested,
measurement of return on investment
made in marketing.
Although measurement is not a
strength of most IPAs, they do
recognise the need to improve and
seek to change. Responses to
the questions, “If your marketing
approach has changed in the last
3 years, how has it changed”,
reveal that IPAs seek to be better at
targeting clients, developing digital
communications, and using referrals
for lead generation ( as it is a
cheaper form of generating leads).