Most Want Accountability, Few Know How

According to a survey scheduled to be released today at the 2005 Marketing Accountability Forum, a conference sponsored by the Association of National Advertisers, 61.5 percent of survey respondents said defining, measuring and taking concrete steps in the area of advertising accountability was important, but only 19 percent said they were satisfied with their ability to take those steps, The New York Times reports. Seventy-three percent were not confident that they understood the effects that an advertising or marketing campaign could have on sales. While accountability has always been desired, the new energy behind the hue and cry for stronger marketing accountability may be a result of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the overall need for C-level executives to better understand the overall financial health of their companies.