"What's the ROI?" is the Wrong Question: Measuring Marketing Impact w/ Joe Sullivan

The Manufacturing Executive · 28 Oct 2025 · Episode 281

What this episode covers

Joe Sullivan, founder of the industrial marketing agency Gorilla 76, explains why asking 'What's the ROI?' too early is a common mistake for manufacturing leaders. He contrasts two scenarios: a company needing short-term sales lift (like 'Newco') versus one building sustainable long-term growth (like 'General Manufacturing'). Sullivan argues that leaders must first define specific, measurable outcomes aligned with their business stage—such as doubling qualified RFQs or increasing deal size—rather than demanding immediate financial returns on marketing spend.

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The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Manufacturing Executive. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.