The Decision-Grade Measurement Checklist

23 checks to find out if your marketing measurement can actually survive a budget decision, or just looks like it can. Reporting-grade measurement tells you what happened. Decision-grade measurement tells you what caused it, holds up when someone checks the math, and is fast enough to act on before the budget window closes.

Decision-Grade Measurement Inner Cover

Decision-Grade Standards

Most marketing measurement is built to produce a number, not to survive a question. Use this checklist to find out which one you’re running on.

Data Foundations

Decision-grade measurement starts with data you can trust, not data you have to caveat. Every channel feeds one dataset, not three dashboards.

Causal Rigor

Correlation tells a story, but causation is the only thing that should move a budget. Ensure incrementality is tested, not assumed.

Governance & Trust

If the number can’t be explained, it can’t be defended. Every number can be traced back to its inputs and method so outside parties can check the work.

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