Direct answer
Leadership does not need more dashboards. Leadership needs decisions. A good performance marketing review should translate campaign data into what the business should scale, hold, cut, fix or test next.
Leadership does not need more dashboards. Leadership needs decisions. A good performance marketing review should translate campaign data into what the business should scale, hold, cut, fix or test next.
This is especially important when budgets are large, attribution is noisy and multiple teams are involved.
Start with the business objective
Before showing channel metrics, restate the business goal. Are we trying to acquire new customers, improve ROAS, increase app orders, reduce CAC, grow repeat purchase, expand a market or validate a new channel?
If the objective is unclear, every metric becomes a debate.
A Mars-style budget reality: everyone has a case
In a portfolio business, different categories and teams will naturally make a case for budget. Retail media may show short-term ROAS. Brand media may argue for awareness and consideration. Category teams may each have strong business reasons for investment.
This is not a problem to complain about. It is a planning reality.
The solution is participation, transparency and data-backed prioritization. Bring stakeholders in early. Set expectations. Explain constraints. Document why a budget moved. If interventions happen mid-plan, make the reason visible.
When budgets are finite, trust is built through process as much as through performance.
The five-slide structure I like
1. Executive summary
What changed, why it matters and what decision is needed.
2. Business performance
Show revenue, orders, first-time customers, CAC, ROAS, contribution margin or the closest available business KPI.
3. Channel performance
Show Google, Meta, CRM, affiliates, app campaigns, retail media or other channels — but connect them to business outcomes, not vanity metrics.
4. Funnel diagnosis
Where did users drop? Impression to click? Click to landing page? Landing page to form? Cart to purchase? Trial to repeat?
5. Decisions and next actions
End with decisions:
- Scale this
- Cap this
- Cut this
- Fix this
- Test this
- Monitor this
How to work with agencies in leadership reviews
Agencies often optimize toward the metrics they are given. If the target is conversions, they will maximize conversions. If the target is clicks, they will maximize clicks. The brand’s role is to connect those metrics to business quality.
The most useful agency conversations are not accusatory. They are specific:
- This channel has volume, but downstream quality is weak.
- This campaign has strong ROAS, but LTV is lower.
- This source has clicks, but poor order quality.
- This channel needs a cap until operations can absorb spikes.
The more specific the feedback, the easier it is for agencies to align.
How to handle bad news
Do not hide bad news inside secondary slides. If CAC worsened, say so. If tracking broke, say so. If a campaign scaled but customer quality dropped, say so.
Credibility comes from explaining what happened and what will change.
My operating POV
The best performance marketers are not just media buyers. They are translators between platforms and business decisions.
A dashboard says what happened. A marketer should explain what to do next.
FAQ
How often should performance marketing be reviewed with leadership?
Weekly for active budget management, monthly for business review and quarterly for strategic allocation.
What metrics should leadership see?
CAC, ROAS, revenue, first-time customers, conversion rate, contribution margin, payback period and key tests. The exact set depends on the business model.
Should creative metrics be shown to leadership?
Yes, but only when they explain business performance or next actions. Do not show creative metrics as decoration.