Ever been asked in a boardroom to “show the money” when presenting communications results?
I know that moment well. It’s when leaders stop caring about impressions or clip counts and start asking the only question that matters: How did communications build trust, increase visibility, or help us win? Introducing Performance Marketing Analytics.
Remember “Show me the money!”? That iconic line from Jerry Maguire always hits a nerve—because it’s precisely how leadership responds when I deliver communications results. Not interested in press clips or impressions. They want the hard truth: Did this effort make a difference? Did it build genuine trust with government buyers? Did it speed up the pipeline? Did it make us more discoverable when agencies or primes go hunting?
If you’ve ever tried to explain communications impact in the #B2BTech or #GovCon universe, you know the challenge: eyes glaze over when the story doesn’t connect to tangible business outcomes. That’s why I’ve stopped talking about activity and started spotlighting progress. Here’s how we’re shifting the game.
From Reports to Proof
When I first started reporting on results, I leaned heavily on impressions, clips, or reach. I thought big numbers would impress people. The problem? They didn’t. Executives care about outcomes. That’s why I now use the #AMEC Integrated Evaluation Framework to connect what we do to the changes it brings.
Here’s how I think about it:
- Inputs are the things we invest in: media outreach, content, and campaigns.
- Outputs are the immediate activity: coverage, mentions, and reach.
- Outtakes capture what people understand or feel: recall, sentiment, comprehension.
- Outcomes show the actions taken: meetings, shortlists, and analyst mentions.
- Impact is the ultimate goal: pipeline growth, contract wins, and increased trust.
Instead of a list of numbers, this chain tells a story of cause and effect. And when you can show cause and effect, you’ve got everyone’s attention.
Here is the Borenstein Group’s Scorecard that we use: (with willing participants) 🙂
The Borenstein Group Communications Scorecard for B2G Marketing 2025. All Rights Reserved.
I’ve found it easier to explain communications performance as a scorecard with five “lanes” that I walk people through. Each lane is a category, and together they tell a complete story.
Lane 1: Trust and Risk
I start with trust, because in the GovCon industry, it’s the foundation of everything. I review stakeholder trust surveys, the transparency of our own content, and whether our messages appear in CPARS narratives. If trust erodes, nothing else matters.
Lane 2: Controlling the Narrative
Next, are we steering the story or reacting to it? I measure whether our priority messages appear in earned coverage, how sentiment looks in federal and trade outlets, and whether branded search spikes after a significant story. This lane answers the question: Are we shaping perception, or are we just part of the noise?
Lane 3: Market Signals
This is where I look at the share of search. It’s a simple yet powerful way to determine if our brand is becoming more discoverable compared to our competitors. When we announce a new capability, I watch whether branded and category search traffic rises. If it doesn’t, I know the story didn’t land.
Lane 4: Revenue Proximity
Here’s where leadership leans in. I track account engagement scores, content-assisted revenue, and deal velocity. If communications is working, opportunities should move faster and touch more of our material. This is often the moment in the conversation when people nod and say, “Now I see the connection.”
Lane 5: Future Growth
Finally, I look at tomorrow. Most buyers aren’t ready to purchase today, so I measure whether we’re laying the groundwork for the future. That includes brand recall surveys, exposure among out-of-market accounts, and growth in category search. This lane proves we’re not just chasing deals—we’re building a pipeline of future demand.
What You Should Leave Out?
We no longer waste time with raw impressions, lists of articles without message analysis, or MQL counts that don’t tie to opportunities. They don’t tell a story, and they don’t help anyone truly defend the value of communications.
Why This Works
What makes the scorecard powerful is that it reads like a story. Lane by lane, I can show how communications builds trust, shapes perception, makes us easier to find, accelerates deals, and prepares us for the future. Each lane has numbers attached, but the numbers now mean something.
So when you sit across from leadership and hear the question, “What did communications deliver?”, you don’t hand them a report full of activity. You walk them through the scorecard. By the time we reach the end, they can see the connection between communication and growth.
That’s when you can smile, just like Jerry Maguire, and say: “I’m here to show you the money.”
Interested in building your own performance marketing scorecard? Reach out Contactus@BorensteinGroup.com or book a free consultation now through https://www.borensteingroup.com/book-a-consultation/