The saying “What cannot be measured cannot be managed” is commonly attributed to Peter Drucker, one of the most influential thinkers in modern management. Drucker’s thinking spread and transformed the concept into a sort of mantra where numbers decide who wins and who gets left behind. Businesses live and die by the numbers. OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) have taken center stage in decision-making processes. They provide measurable targets, ensure accountability, and seem to offer a foolproof path to success. But there’s a problem. As companies obsess over these numbers, something more essential is slipping through the cracks: strategic planning.
Before the internet — yes, there was a time — marketers operated in a world where measurement and control were scarce. Brands relied on a few media channels like print, radio, and television. When an ad ran in the top three newspapers or magazines, companies didn’t know exactly where their sales came from the next week. Anything beyond gut instinct was speculation. Sure, big brands could afford market research, but for the most part, marketing was a blend of science and intuition — without the pressure to quantify every action in real-time.
Fast forward to today, and it’s hard to imagine a world without performance marketing. With digital platforms at their disposal, marketers can now track almost every customer interaction. From social media ads to email campaigns, each click, view, or conversion becomes a data point to obsess over. And that’s where the trouble starts.
The rise of data-driven tyranny
With data and analytics ruling the day, the focus has shifted from long-term brand building to short-term, results-driven marketing. Boards of directors and shareholders demand immediate returns. This has fueled a relentless pursuit of productivity at all costs, and nowhere is this more evident than in marketing teams. Instead of having the luxury to focus on deep planning, marketing departments are under increasing pressure to “deliver” results. And deliver now.
This is where OKRs and KPIs come into play. Originally designed to provide structure, focus, and accountability, they have become the sword hanging over the heads of executives. C-levels are now trapped in a cycle of proving success through numbers rather than through holistic brand growth. It’s no longer about building a connection with consumers or telling a powerful story. It’s about meeting this quarter’s KPI goals — at any cost.
What happens when the metrics become the message? Marketing teams shrink, squeezed tighter by the need to generate more content with fewer resources. The message? Push that offer. Craft the killer CTA. And whatever you do, hit the numbers. The result is an obsession with performance metrics that leaves little room for anything else.
Planning takes the hit
So, where does planning fit into this world of clicks, conversions, and real-time analytics? Increasingly, it doesn’t. Planning is being sacrificed on the altar of instant results. Marketers are no longer given time to develop in-depth strategies. Instead, they’re chasing algorithms, optimizing content for platform requirements, and spinning out endless reels, posts, and stories just to keep up. The problem? All this focus on productivity kills creativity and thoughtful planning.
Take brand awareness campaigns, for example. These campaigns focus on building emotional connections with the audience, nurturing trust, and crafting a memorable image over time. They don’t have immediate, measurable returns — at least not in the sense OKRs or KPIs demand. But these campaigns are crucial. A brand is more than just the sum of its daily conversions. Without proper planning, brands lose their ability to connect deeply with consumers. And when that happens, the damage to a brand’s long-term health can be devastating.
The illusion of progress
It’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of data. After all, it feels like progress. Numbers give you a sense of control, a belief that if you just optimize enough, you’ll crack the code. But this belief is often a mirage. The more you rely on short-term KPIs, the more you lose sight of the big picture. OKRs and KPIs often give the illusion of productivity without providing real, sustainable growth.
Consider this: meeting a quarterly sales target by pumping out dozens of ads or email blasts might seem like a win. But what about six months down the line? If those ads alienated potential customers with aggressive sales tactics or damaged the brand’s reputation, the long-term fallout will far outweigh the short-term gains. Marketing isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon. Yet, today’s focus on instant results forces brands to run a never-ending series of sprints, leaving no time to refuel or re-strategize.
The paradox: killing long-term success in pursuit of short-term gains
The paradox at the heart of the KPI and OKR obsession is this: the more you focus on immediate, measurable productivity, the less productive you become in the long run. Planning, which should be the bedrock of all successful marketing strategies, is pushed to the back burner. And without a solid plan, even the best-executed campaigns will ultimately falter.
It’s tempting to think that just meeting today’s numbers is enough. After all, numbers don’t lie, right? But here’s the thing: while numbers might not lie, they don’t tell the whole story either. The slow erosion of brand loyalty, the subtle shift in consumer perception, and the gradual weakening of brand identity — these things don’t show up in your OKRs. But they will show up eventually, and by then, it’s often too late.
The fallout: agency-brand relationships on the line
This obsession with short-term performance doesn’t just affect internal teams — it’s also damaging the relationships between brands and their agencies. In the US, where these dynamics are more heavily tracked, the average lifespan of a brand-agency partnership has dropped to just 2–3 years. Compare that to decades past, where relationships lasted much longer, and it’s easy to see why the performance-at-all-costs mentality is eroding trust and cooperation.
Brands, under pressure to hit their KPIs, often expect agencies to deliver immediate, tangible results. When those numbers don’t materialize, the partnership suffers. The truth is, building a lasting brand takes time, but the demand for quick wins forces agencies into a corner, where they have no choice but to focus on performance metrics rather than long-term brand strategy. As a result, both the brand and the agency lose out on what could have been a productive, long-lasting partnership.
The role of algorithms in this downward spiral
Let’s not forget the role of algorithms in this chaos. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook push marketers to churn out vast quantities of content. The pressure to be visible — to stay relevant in the feed — means marketers are producing more than ever. But here’s the catch: when quantity goes up, quality almost always goes down. The result is a flood of content that often feels rushed, unpolished, or worse — meaningless.
Algorithms reward this constant stream of content, but at what cost? Marketers are forced to produce an “insane” number of materials daily, leaving little time for thoughtful, strategic planning. The result is an over-saturated market where quality is sacrificed on the altar of quantity. And once again, it’s the long-term health of the brand that suffers.
Breaking free: how to refocus on planning
The solution is as simple as it is challenging: stop chasing the numbers. Easier said than done, of course, but the key to long-term brand success lies in shifting focus away from instant results and back toward strategic planning.
First, give your marketing team the time and space to plan. This means resisting the urge to measure everything in real time. Yes, OKRs and KPIs are useful tools, but they should be just that — tools. They should never be the entire strategy. Next, don’t be afraid to invest in brand-building campaigns, even if they don’t have an immediate, measurable return. In the long run, these campaigns will do more to secure customer loyalty and brand strength than any sales-focused campaign ever could.
Finally, resist the siren call of algorithms. Don’t sacrifice quality for the sake of quantity. Remember: a single well-crafted campaign can have far more impact than a dozen rushed posts or stories.
References
Hayes, J. (1989). Cognitive psychology: Thinking and creating. Psychology Press.
Simon, H. A., & Chase, W. G. (1973). Perception in chess. Cognitive psychology, 4(1), 55–81.
New Business Committee of the American Association of Advertising Agencies. (2021). Survey on client-agency relationships.