Andy Nairn: Proving our effectiveness isn't always rocket science

Just like Woody Allen's comic creation, we too struggle to achieve our goals. But it needn't be that way, says Lucky Generals' Andy Nairn

There’s a funny line in the 1999 film Small Time Crooks. It’s delivered by Woody Allen’s character, an uneducated criminal called Ray. Talking of his desire to turn his life around, he moans that his lifelong ambition is to "learn how to spell Connecticut".

The joke is that we humans often profess a burning desire to change but complain that it’s impossible, when really the required action is relatively straightforward. (If Ray really wanted to spell Connecticut, he could simply pick up any dictionary.)

It strikes me that this mindset is quite prevalent in our world. From collaboration to diversity, breaking down silos to disrupting industries, we loudly proclaim the need to change our ways but constantly complain about how difficult it is – and, as a result, do nothing.

For a classic example of this dynamic in action, just look at our approach to effectiveness. Demonstrating a return on investment is (rightly) one of our collective lifelong ambitions. We’ve professed a desire to nail it for many decades. We know that, with marketing budgets under pressure these days, it’s more important than ever. And yet, all too often, we throw up our hands and protest that proving a causal link between communications (or, indeed, other marketing activities) and commercial results is impossible.

Read the full article at Campaign.