metrics-myopia-induced panic disorder (MMIPD)

I will not deny that I believe in the power of research - and specifically, in the power of measurements.  I believe that goals should be clearly defined - and in the case of marketing and sales (which I think should always be aligned), they should be quantified.

I also believe that there are a lot of factors that affect - facilitate, catalyze, result to - sales.

I also believe that whenever something emerges as a risk to achieving sales goals, one should sit down and respond.

However, I think that marketeers can become trapped in what I can only call as "metrics myopia".

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Metrics myopia leads to a knee-jerk reaction to a slight change - usually a dip - in certain metrics deemed to be determinants of success. 

The knee-jerk reaction from marketeers and sales executives trigger a chain of panic that affects the entire marketing organization, with the potential of triggering the entire organization to respond with "urgency".

What causes metrics-myopia-induced panic disorder?

Immediate data access - made accessible by cheaper costs of doing research and by technology.

And since costs and technology are making data access even far cheaper, a pandemic is a real, possible phenomenon.

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My recommended response: 

1. Stop. 
   
   
2. Don't panic.
    
   
3. Verify the trends. 
   Are they real?  Are there precedents that show it is indeed a trend-reversal?
   What made you think it is a trend-reversal?
   Does the dip even warrant an investigation?
   
   
4. If it is indeed a trend-reversal, then identify WHY it is happening.
   
   
5. Revalidate your hypotheses from (4). 
   Check the past. 
   Check the competition.
   
   
6. Revisit your overall business and marketing strategies. 
   (If you're gunning for profitability as a key annual business metric, for everyone's sake, don't launch a promo or increase your ad-spends without checking!)
   
   
7. Respond - in accordance to (6) and to (5)
   
   
8. Monitor.  Set up metric-screens.  And by all means, do it regularly.  But...
   
   
9. Don't panic.  Sleep.
   (And keep your fingers off the red telephone line to the CMO or the CEO.)
   
   

10. If things don't improve, then repeat from (3).

Sure.  It is a competitive world out there.

Time and speed are always critical considerations.

But use them wisely.  And respond rationally.