July 1, 2003- ROI. To hear some people tell it, these are the three most important letters in promotional marketing. Today you'll be hard-pressed to attend any agency pitch, budget-planning session or marketing conference without hearing ROI discussed in reverent tones.

And there's more to it than simple math. "There's no Holy Grail of measurement," says Julie Zdziarski, executive VP at Wilton, CT-based Sponsorship Research International (SRi). "There's no formula that spits out the answer. That wouldn't give you a true indication of the program."

"We're seeing a pick up in the demand for measurement this year after a lull last year - measurement is the first thing cut," Zdziarski says. "There is a trend toward brands collecting as much data as they can and looking for someone to pull it all together in a coherent manner. They have all this information but don't know what it means."

SRi cautions that brands need to start thinking of ROI measurement as predictive, not just reactive. "Most people don't think of measurement until after the fact," Zdziarski adds.

When Delta Air Lines sought a tie-in with Major League Baseball last year to boost brand visibility, SRi conducted pre-and post-promotion phone interviews with baseball fans in New York, Boston and Atlanta…. "We were also looking to ascertain overall awareness among fans of the promotion, likelihood to participate, the promotion's impact on choosing Delta and the overall effect on Delta's image," Zdziarski says.

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