Marketing Metrics and Social Impact Measurement

Business performance is a complex, multidimensional matter. Financial performance is the traditional standard of business evaluation, and its interpretation requires managers to be knowledgeable about the accounting language. However, the media and society are more and more demanding in terms of business accountability. As a response to this challenge, new reporting standards have gradually developed, to account for a wider perspective of business performance. They are currently powerful business communication tools that global companies use to support their strategy, and managers should be aware of their role and logic. Finally, financial performance is based on both production efficiency and marketing mix decisions. Therefore, marketing metrics are a useful set of tools allowing managers to plan and assess marketing decisions.

The course develops around four main topics:

• Financial accounting basic principles and techniques.
• Financial statements structure, interpretation and analysis.
• Sustainability reporting.
• Logic and metrics of marketing impact assessment.

At the end of the course, students will: (i) master the basic techniques and principles of financial accounting; (ii) understand and interpret financial statements; (iii) be knowledgeable about sustainability reporting as an evolution of business performance; (iv) know the main marketing metrics and understand the link between marketing and business performance.

• Responsible consumption and production

In presence

In-class activities are mainly articulated in interactive lectures (providing fundamental theories and concepts) and practice sessions (engaging students in answering structured questions, solving exercises, and approaching brief case studies). Additional in-class and extra-class activities (e.g., voluntary groupworks) may be organized to better engage students in applying and honing their theoretical knowledge, while developing technical and managerial skills.

Written exam (further details in the syllabus, together with the bibliography and teaching materials)