The role of benchmarking in interpreting results
Launch library · evergreen read
A result reported entirely in isolation, without any genuine point of comparison attached to it, is genuinely difficult to interpret properly, since there is simply no way to know whether it represents strong performance, merely average performance, or a disappointing outcome relative to what similar efforts typically achieve in the same category.
Benchmarking against past campaigns, broader industry norms or specific competitor activity gives a raw result genuinely meaningful context to work from. A modest looking number can actually represent a strong outcome if it significantly exceeds a relevant benchmark, just as an impressive looking number can quietly represent underperformance against a considerably stronger comparison point nobody mentioned.
Building a genuine habit of benchmarking consistently over time also improves an organisation's own internal understanding of what realistic targets actually look like in practice, replacing simple guesswork with a steadily growing body of comparative evidence that makes future objective setting considerably more grounded and genuinely credible to stakeholders.