Introduction Marketing effectiveness can be defined as the “quality of marketers to optimize their efforts and achieve the best short-term and long-term results”. (Buyline Research 1, pp. 5) This concept is directly related to Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI) and ROI which are often utilized in the description of the relationship between costs and the returns gained mainly in the form of profits (Buyline Research 2). It’s sometimes very difficult to measure the effectiveness of marketing activities either in advance or after they have been executed. The situation may be further complicated if a company uses different marketing strategies. This paper seeks to report on the difficulties that are frequently faced while measuring marketing effectiveness. It further describes how best the issue can be tackled by describing the strategies that can be employed to measure the effect of individual marketing activities. Difficulties in measuring marketing activities The current business environment is characterized by intense competition. Therefore firms cannot do without marketing activities such as advertising to promote their survival (King, pp. 2). Many companies usually face a dilemma in establishing whether their investment in marketing truly yields a competitive advantage for them or not. Companies can be disappointed after investing heavily in unsuccessful campaigns. However, even when good returns are realized, one should say it is not easy to determine the exact contribution of each marketing activity to that success. Research conducted indicates that most firms cannot hold their marketing departments accountable for the vast resources they use to carry out marketing activities. Few companies that have developed measurement tools, are measuring the wrong things. The majority of them are not in a position to measure anything at all. The research indicates that about 54% of companies usually set their marketing budgets basing on historical data – clearly showing that they do not have any idea on the effectiveness (King, pp. 3). It is further noted that only about 20% of marketing executives are able to accurately estimate the impact that follows budget cuts. It’s further identified that firms that cannot accurately report on the progress of a marketing ROI usually do not have individuals that have been specifically assigned to that task (Powell 5). Because of the difficulty that is associated with measuring the impact of advertising, existence of external impacts, and the difficulty in establishing controls; several firms cannot measure the value of advertisement. In one particular study carried out in the year 2008, it was established that 100 biggest U.S retail banks use up to USD 2 billion on advertising annually. This implies that banks in today’s society must rely on advertisement for survival (Stern 17). Strategies for effective measurement of marketing Marketers should be in a position to collect all the data that are required to measure their marketing activities. They should be able to know the specific aspects as well as the priorities that should be measured. They should understand what should be measured in the future and most important why they are carrying out the measurements. A well planned measurement will give the firm the confidence to undertake innovations that bring a positive impact. Firms need to determine whether there are gaps in coverage, put meas