Introduction
In today’s dynamic business environment, developing a marketing strategy is only half of success. The second, no less important part is the competent implementation of strategic plans and regular evaluation of their effectiveness
The G-STIC model (Goals, Strategy, Tactics, Implementation, Control) is a structured approach to planning and management of marketing processes developed by Alexander Chernev. This model includes five consecutive stages:
- Setting Goals
- Strategy development (Strategy)
- Definition of Tactics
- Implementation
- Control
The final stage of the model – Control – is often underestimated, although it allows to turn marketing strategy from a theoretical concept into a manageable process that can bring measurable results.
What is Control in the G-STIC model
Control within the G-STIC model is a systematic process of evaluating the results of marketing activities, comparing them with the planned indicators and taking corrective action when deviations are identified. This stage is closely related to the initial objectives set in the first stage of the model.
The control phase has two main components:
- Performance evaluation is the process of measuring the achieved results and comparing them with the planned goals. This is where the fulfillment of marketing objectives is analyzed, shortcomings and successes are identified.
- Analysis of the external environment – constant monitoring of changes in the market, competitors’ actions, consumer preferences and other external factors that may affect the implementation of the strategy.
“Control is not the final marketing strategy, but rather a bridge between the current cycle and future marketing plans.”
Effective control allows marketers not only to evaluate the success of strategy implementation in the past, but also to adapt it to changing conditions in the present and future. This gives flexibility to the entire marketing process and ensures its relevance in ever-changing market conditions.
Types of control in marketing
Four main types of control can be distinguished within marketing activities:
- Strategic control – assessment of compliance of marketing strategy with the long-term goals of the organization and changes in the external environment.
- Tactical control – checking the effectiveness of specific marketing tactics and tools.
- Operational control – monitoring of current activities and intermediate results for quick response to deviations.
- Profitability control – analyzing the profitability of various aspects of marketing activities, including products, market segments, and sales channels.
Key control tools
For effective implementation of control in modern marketing a whole arsenal of tools is used to collect, analyze and visualize data on the performance of marketing activities.
Marketing dashboards and analytical systems
Dashboards are interactive dashboards that display key marketing performance indicators in real time. Popular tools for creating dashboards are:
- Google Data Studio – allows you to aggregate data from various sources and create visual reports
- Tableau is a powerful platform for data visualization and business intelligence
- Power BI – Microsoft tool for creating interactive reports and data visualization
CRM systems and reporting
CRM-systems allow you not only to manage customer relationships, but also to monitor the effectiveness of marketing campaigns:
- Salesforce – a comprehensive solution with extensive analytical capabilities
- HubSpot is an integrated marketing, sales and customer service platform
- Bitrix24 is a homegrown system with CRM, task management and communication functions
Web analytics and monitoring systems
These tools allow you to track user behavior on your site, the effectiveness of advertising campaigns, and more:
- Google Analytics is a feature-rich tool for tracking website traffic, traffic sources and user behavior
- Yandex.Metrica – Russian analog of Google Analytics with additional features
- SEMrush – a platform for comprehensive SEO analysis and competitive intelligence
Tracking and attribution systems
These tools help you understand which marketing activities led to conversions and sales:
- Call tracking – systems for tracking calls and their sources (Calltouch, Comagic)
- Multichannel attribution systems – allow to evaluate the contribution of each marketing channel to the final conversion rate (Roistat, OWOX BI)
- Email tracking – tools for analyzing the effectiveness of email marketing (Unisender, MailChimp)
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
To exercise control, you need to have clear metrics and KPIs (key performance indicators) to evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. Here are the most important ones:
Financial performance
- ROMI (Return On Marketing Investment) – return on marketing investment
- ROI (Return On Investment) – total return on investment
- Margin is the difference between revenue and variable costs
Customer engagement indicators
- CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) – the cost of attracting a customer
- CPL (Cost Per Lead) – cost of attracting a lead
- CPC (Cost Per Click) – cost per click
Retention and loyalty rates
- LTV (Lifetime Value) – lifetime value of a customer
- Churn Rate – customer churn rate
- NPS (Net Promoter Score) – consumer loyalty index
Channel performance indicators
- CR (Conversion Rate) – conversion rate
- ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) – average revenue per user
- CTR (Click-Through Rate) – the ratio of the number of clicks to the number of impressions
Why control is important
Timely adaptation of strategy and tactics
One of the main principles of modern marketing is flexibility and adaptability. The business environment is becoming more and more unstable, and consumer behavior is becoming less and less predictable. In such conditions, regular control allows:
- Quickly identify ineffective marketing channels and reallocate budget
- Quickly adjust messages and creatives based on audience response
- Adapt to market changes ahead of competitors
Without systematic monitoring, even a perfectly designed strategy can quickly become outdated or ineffective due to changed market conditions.
Justification of marketing budgets
In today’s companies, marketing increasingly has to prove its value and justify the budgets allocated. The control stage allows:
- Demonstrate to management a real return on marketing investment
- Arguably justify the need to increase budgets for successful lines of business
- Optimize the allocation of funds between different marketing activities
Identifying hidden problems and opportunities
Regular analysis of data as part of a control often reveals what is not apparent at first glance:
- Identify problems in the sales funnel that were not initially obvious
- Discover promising new audience segments
- Identify hidden factors affecting marketing effectiveness
Team training and development
The control process is not only about identifying errors, but also an opportunity for the team to learn and improve:
- Analyze the reasons for successes and failures
- Form a knowledge base of best practices
- Continuously build competence in data analysis and decision making
Conclusion
Control as the final step of the G-STIC model is not just a formality, but a critical element that turns a marketing strategy from an abstract plan into a concrete, measurable and manageable process. Without an effective control system, even the most innovative strategy and flawlessly implemented tactics may fail to produce the desired results.
In modern marketing, where the volume of data is constantly growing and analytics tools are becoming more sophisticated, the role of control is only increasing. The ability to not only collect and analyze data, but also to make informed decisions based on it is becoming a key competitive advantage.
“If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” – Peter Drucker
Effective control is a continuous cycle that links all the previous stages of the G-STIC model together and ensures their continuous improvement. It allows marketers to objectively assess their performance, quickly adapt to market changes and maximize the return on marketing investments.
Ultimately, it is the control phase that determines whether the marketing strategy will be truly effective and help achieve the business objectives.
You may also be interested in:
- Goals in the G-STIC model: How to set marketing goals correctly
- Developing an effective marketing strategy: Stage S in the G-STIC model
- Marketing tactics: how to turn strategy into a plan of action
- Marketing strategy implementation: from theory to practice
About the author:
Expert in strategic marketing with more than 10 years of experience working with Russian and international brands. Consultant on marketing planning and analyzing the effectiveness of marketing investments.