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Marketing controlling that makes impact visible

Connecting strategy, communication, and data

Marketing controlling is far more than tracking numbers. It provides orientation, makes results transparent, and creates a solid foundation for decision-making at management level. Whether brand reputation, reach, performance, or lead quality – we identify which measures truly contribute to success and how they impact your business objectives.
Ruess Group combines analytical precision with strategic foresight, creating the foundation for marketing that delivers impact – integrated, international, and future-oriented.

Your benefits at a glance

  • KPI transparency across all communication channels
  • Strategic sparring for marketing and communication decision-makers
  • Holistic steering through the integration of brand, content, media, and data

Your contact for marketing controlling

Schedule a non-binding strategy conversation – easily via appointment selection.

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Steffen Ruess

Steffen Ruess

Managing Partner
Ruess Group

References

Success stories
Marketing controlling

Wolff & Müller / Construction Group
Wolff & Müller / Construction Group

Online marketing and media planning to increase sales in the online shop.

International Marketing
Schubert / Packaging Machines

Full-service international marketing for over 50 years.

all disciplines
all disciplines

Leadership through clear metrics

Our understanding of marketing controlling

For us, marketing controlling means far more than measuring clicks, leads, or campaign results. It is the strategic control layer of modern communication: the connection of brand, content, media, and data. The goal is to make the impact of every measure visible and to anchor marketing as a decision-relevant success factor within the organization.

As an integrated agency, we combine strategic brand management with data-driven analysis in our approach to marketing controlling. We view reach, reputation, performance, and brand strength as interconnected metrics within an overarching goal architecture. This creates a clear picture of how communication actually works—across markets, stakeholders, and a company’s economic success.

Effective marketing controlling means understanding marketing not as a creative end in itself, but as a system of planning, execution, and control. It connects vision and reality, strategy and measurable results. The insights gained provide orientation, ensure transparency in budget management, and form a reliable basis for decision-making at management level—nationally and internationally.

In short:
Marketing controlling at Ruess Group combines analytical precision with strategic thinking. It makes marketing plannable, integrable, and measurable across all levels of communication.

Orientation in complex markets

Why marketing controlling is indispensable today

Marketing and communication are more complex than ever before. Channels, target groups, and formats continue to multiply, while the pressure to prove results keeps increasing. Marketing controlling is the response to this development: it provides orientation, creates transparency, and shows which measures truly deliver impact.

Modern brand communication has long been about more than reach or attention. It is a strategic value driver that influences brand positioning, reputation, and growth. Without reliable data and an overarching control logic, however, this full potential remains untapped. Campaigns run in parallel instead of being connected, budgets are allocated based on intuition, and critical insights remain hidden.

A consistently established marketing controlling framework creates the necessary link between brand management, communication, and performance. It connects qualitative brand values with quantitative metrics, translates communication output into business relevance, and provides the foundation for well-informed decisions at management level. This enables companies to make success measurable and to deploy their resources in a targeted and effective way.

This approach becomes a decisive competitive advantage, particularly for international B2B brands. Those who understand their impact can systematically increase it and deploy communication measures where they have the greatest leverage. Marketing controlling thus becomes a key capability of modern corporate management—measurable, controllable, and future-proof.

In short:
Marketing controlling is not an add-on, but a fundamental prerequisite for successful marketing in an era defined by data, dynamics, and digitalization.

Why marketing controlling is indispensable today

Success becomes measurable

What is marketing controlling, really?

Marketing controlling is the central instrument for planning, steering, and making marketing measurable in a strategic way. It ensures that all activities are based on clearly defined objectives and that results remain transparent, comparable, and traceable. The goal is to make marketing’s contribution to overall business success visible—based on data, facts, and analysis.

At its core is the systematic collection, evaluation, and interpretation of all relevant information from marketing, communication, sales, and the market. By consolidating these data sources, a clear and objective picture emerges of the performance of individual activities, their efficiency, and their optimization potential. Decisions are no longer driven by intuition, but by reliable metrics.

Unlike performance marketing, which primarily focuses on short-term campaign results, marketing controlling looks at the entire chain of impact—from reach and brand perception to leads and engagement, all the way to reputation and brand value. This makes it possible to place short-term results within a long-term strategic context.

Typical questions include:

  • Which channels contribute most strongly to business success?
  • How efficiently are marketing budgets being used?
  • Which activities strengthen the brand and build trust?

Through this holistic perspective, marketing controlling becomes a central management instrument. It connects analysis, strategy, and operational execution into a closed-loop control system.

Objectives and benefits: what marketing controlling enables

Marketing controlling brings structure, transparency, and steering capability to an increasingly complex communication landscape. It helps companies plan activities in a targeted way, set clear priorities, and make their impact on markets and target groups measurable. The result is a clear overview of performance, efficiency, and potential—as well as a reliable foundation for decision-making at management level.

For marketing and communication leaders, this creates an instrument that connects strategy and execution. It shows which measures deliver impact, where resources are used efficiently, and where adjustments are needed. Marketing thus becomes a measurable success factor aligned with overall business objectives.

Key objectives and benefits of marketing controlling:

  • Making impact transparent: clearly mapping and comparing results from PR, content, social media, paid, and digital channels
  • Increasing efficiency: deploying budgets in a targeted way and reducing waste
  • Securing strategy: aligning communication activities with corporate and sales objectives
  • Ensuring comparability: evaluating campaigns, markets, and channels based on shared KPIs
  • Transparent reporting: dashboards and reports that create clarity for management, business units, and teams
  • Faster responsiveness: identifying market changes early and enabling agile decision-making

Beyond this, marketing controlling fosters a shared language between marketing, communication, and sales. It creates a common understanding of success that connects creative, media, and strategic disciplines.

Objectives and benefits: what marketing controlling enables

Conclusion:

Conclusion:

Marketing controlling transforms data into orientation, budgets into impact, and communication into measurable value. It makes the success of your activities transparent—and your marketing more effective and efficient in the long term.

Understanding data, steering impact

The two-step process in marketing controlling

Effective marketing controlling follows a structured approach. It combines analytical precision with strategic thinking and lays the foundation for marketing that can be actively steered. The process consists of two interdependent stages: data collection and analysis.

  • Stage 1: Data collection and visualization

    The process begins with the comprehensive collection and preparation of all relevant information. This includes internal sources such as CRM systems, sales figures, website and campaign data, as well as external data from media monitoring, social analytics, or market research. These data are consolidated and visualized in clearly structured dashboards, providing an at-a-glance view of key metrics such as reach, interactions, leads, brand awareness, and performance.

    This creates an objective picture of current communication performance. Marketing and communication leaders can immediately see which measures are successful, where resources are being used inefficiently, and which developments require closer attention. The data thus form the basis for informed decisions and targeted steering.

  • Stage 2: Analysis and optimization

    In the second stage, the collected data are interpreted and translated into concrete recommendations for action. The focus is not only on evaluating past results, but also on identifying future potential. Which channels contribute most to sales success? How do different content formats influence brand perception and engagement? Which budgets generate the highest return on investment?

    The analysis reveals relationships and leverage points that were previously hidden. It enables data-driven prioritization of initiatives, more efficient use of budgets, and optimization of communication across all levels. Based on this, a continuous improvement process emerges that makes marketing more successful in the long term.

Conclusion:

Conclusion:

Marketing controlling is not a reporting tool, but a management process. It transforms data into insights, insights into decisions, and decisions into measurable impact.

Impact at every level

Success stages in marketing controlling

Professional marketing controlling evaluates the success of communication and marketing across multiple time horizons. Each level delivers its own insights, which together create a comprehensive picture of impact—short term in sales, mid term in the market, and long term in brand development. This perspective makes marketing steerable and comparable.

  • 1. Short-term stage: Sales performance

    The first level measures the immediate success of individual activities. Metrics such as revenue, leads, conversion rates, or cost per lead (CPL) provide insight into the operational performance of campaigns. Marketing controlling makes it visible which activities actually contribute to sales results and where optimization potential exists. Based on this, budgets can be adjusted in a targeted way and efficiency gains can be realized.

  • 2. Mid-term stage: Market resonance and prospect base

    The second stage focuses on market response. Metrics such as reach, engagement, dwell time, and interaction rates are analyzed. Marketing controlling shows how effectively a company addresses its target audiences, builds trust, and engages potential customers. This level connects performance with relevance and forms the bridge between operational effectiveness and brand strength.

  • 3. Long-term stage: Brand value and reputation

    In the long term, marketing controlling examines the development of the brand itself. Metrics such as brand awareness, share of voice, reputation scores, or a brand health index illustrate how perception and trust evolve in the market. Companies gain insight into how marketing and communication contribute to brand strengthening and influence long-term enterprise value.

Conclusion:

Conclusion:

Structured marketing controlling evaluates success at every level: short term in numbers, mid term in the market, and long term in perception. This multidimensional perspective makes the difference between operational efficiency and sustainable brand management.

Consolidating data, generating insights

Marketing controlling in practice – data warehouse and integration

Effective marketing controlling is built on a robust data architecture. Only when all relevant information is centrally captured, connected, and analyzed does a complete picture of the impact of marketing and communication activities emerge. At the core of this structure is the data warehouse—the central platform where all data streams converge.

In a professional data warehouse, data from internal systems such as CRM, ERP, media planning, or campaign tools are combined with external sources from social media, market research, and web analytics. This creates a consistent, holistic view of overall marketing performance. Dashboards and reports present these results in a clear and structured way, enabling trends and correlations to be identified at a glance.

Such a system offers significant advantages: it saves time, prevents data silos, and provides the foundation for fact-based decision-making. However, technology alone is not enough. What truly matters is the ability to interpret the information correctly and translate it into strategy. This is exactly where Ruess Group comes in.

Our experts develop KPI systems that are individually aligned with a company’s goal architecture. We translate complex data into clear insights that management can use directly—as a basis for planning, steering, and optimization.

A data warehouse is therefore not an end in itself, but the central tool for sustainably steering communication and marketing. It combines technical precision with strategic value and creates transparency across all levels—from operational performance to brand management.

Marketing controlling in practice – data warehouse and integration

More precise steering, better conversion

How marketing controlling improves lead quality

Professional marketing controlling significantly improves both the quality and quantity of leads. It reveals which measures actually contribute to lead generation, how target groups behave, and which content performs most effectively. What were once isolated data sets become a clearly structured system for steering communication and sales.

A key factor is the close integration of marketing and sales data. When information from CRM systems, email marketing, website tracking, social media, and campaign platforms is consolidated, a complete view of the customer journey emerges. Companies can see which touchpoints generate leads, where potential customers drop off, and which communication channels have the greatest influence on the buying process.

These insights make it possible to increase conversion rates in a targeted way and sustainably improve lead quality. Content and campaigns can be planned with greater precision, media budgets deployed more efficiently, and target groups addressed more individually.
Marketing controlling answers questions such as:

  • Which channels generate the most valuable leads?
  • What is the actual ROI of individual activities?
  • Which topics and formats deliver the best results?

By combining data intelligence, strategy, and creativity, a continuous cycle of analysis, optimization, and success is created. Marketing controlling turns data into actionable knowledge—and transforms communication activities into sustainable sales potential.

Conclusion:

Conclusion:

Those who consistently integrate marketing and sales data not only improve lead quality, but also strengthen the overall interaction between marketing, sales, and management.

Making complexity manageable

Typical challenges and solutions

Many companies know that their marketing activities could be more successful. In many cases, consistent steering does not fail due to a lack of willingness, but because of structures, processes, and resources. Professional marketing controlling provides a remedy here: it brings order to complex data landscapes, connects information from different systems, and delivers a reliable basis for decision-making.

  • Challenge 1: Fragmented systems and data silos

    Data from CRM, media, social media, PR, and web analytics often exist side by side without being connected. Results are difficult to compare and complicate reporting.
    Our solution: We integrate all relevant sources into a consistent KPI system that works technically, analytically, and organizationally. This gives companies a holistic view of the impact and performance of their activities.

  • Challenge 2: Lack of comparability and steering logic

    Without clearly defined metrics, it remains unclear what success actually means. Benchmarks, target values, or standardized measurement methods are often missing.
    Our solution: We develop KPI frameworks tailored to individual objectives, markets, and channels. Dashboards and reports create transparency at all levels—from the marketing department to the executive board.

  • Challenge 3: Time constraints and limited resources

    In many organizations, there is a lack of time to systematically analyze data and derive actionable recommendations.
    Our solution: We take over analysis and interpretation, develop practical recommendations, and support implementation. This relieves internal teams and ensures fast, well-founded results.

Conclusion:

Conclusion:

Marketing controlling reduces complexity, eliminates uncertainty, and creates a shared basis for decision-making. It transforms data into orientation and enables companies to act with confidence—at every level of management.

Experience. Strategy. Trust

Why Ruess Group is the right partner

Why Ruess Group is the right partner

Marketing controlling delivers its full value only when it is strategically conceived, professionally implemented, and continuously maintained. This is precisely where Ruess Group’s strength lies. We combine strategic consulting, creative excellence, and data-driven analysis within an integrated structure. The result is solutions that resonate equally with management, marketing, and communication teams.

As an agency for international B2B brands, we understand the demands of complex markets: diverse target groups, cultural nuances, distributed teams, and high reporting requirements. Our experience shows that sustainable success emerges only when strategy, data, and creativity work together consistently. That is why we do not view marketing controlling as an isolated analytical tool, but as a connecting element across the entire communication process.

Our approach is built on four pillars:

  • Strategic depth: We develop KPI and steering systems that reflect your brand, your markets, and your communication objectives.
  • Operational excellence: We implement tools and dashboards that work in day-to-day practice—clear, scalable, and practical.
  • International perspective: With offices in Stuttgart, Munich, and Leipzig, as well as partners in numerous countries, we support brands across languages and markets.
  • Innovation & technology: We leverage modern analytics tools, AI-based evaluations, and automated reporting to identify trends early and accelerate decision-making.

This combination of strategic thinking, technological expertise, and creative understanding makes Ruess Group a reliable partner for measurable impact.
We create systems that do more than deliver data—they provide orientation, enabling communication that builds trust and sustainably strengthens business success.

Conclusion:

Conclusion:

Ruess Group stands for marketing controlling with strategic ambition. We don’t just measure results—we shape success.

Transparenz schafft Wachstum

Case study: successful marketing controlling

An internationally operating industrial company faced a complex challenge:
high marketing budgets, many markets, and numerous campaigns—but little transparency about the actual effectiveness of its activities. Management wanted to understand which initiatives contributed most to brand perception and lead generation, how budgets could be used more efficiently, and how communication could be steered in a measurable way.

Initial situation

  • Different reporting standards across more than ten national subsidiaries
  • No unified KPI systems for PR, social media, paid media, and content marketing
  • Lack of comparability of results across markets and campaigns

Approach

Ruess Group developed a multi-stage marketing controlling system that consolidated all relevant data sources and channels. This included:

  • Building a central KPI framework covering reach, reputation, and lead quality
  • Implementing a dashboard system for real-time visualization of results
  • Defining shared reporting processes and training teams to interpret KPIs

The result was an integrated steering system that provided marketing and management with a unified view of performance and impact.

Results

After just six months, comparable data from all markets was available for the first time.
The new insights enabled targeted optimization of budget allocation and a stronger focus on the most effective communication channels. The outcomes:

  • +35% more qualified leads
  • –20% media costs
  • Significantly higher reporting transparency for top management

Conclusion:

Conclusion:

By introducing structured marketing controlling, data collection was transformed into active steering—and communication into a measurable competitive advantage.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions
about marketing controlling

  • Marketing controlling is the systematic steering, analysis, and evaluation of all marketing and communication activities. It shows which initiatives deliver impact, how efficiently budgets are used, and how marketing contributes to overall business success.

  • It creates transparency and provides the foundation for well-informed decisions. Marketing controlling reveals which measures work, where optimization potential exists, and how the impact of individual channels or campaigns can be compared.

  • Relevant KPIs depend on objectives and markets. Typical metrics include reach, engagement, leads, conversion rates, brand awareness, reputation scores, and return on investment (ROI). We develop tailored KPI systems that align precisely with your strategy.

  • Initial results are usually visible within a few weeks. Building a comprehensive system—including data architecture, dashboards, and reporting structures—takes between six and 18 months, depending on complexity and data availability.

  • Costs depend on objectives, scope, and existing infrastructure. We offer modular entry workshops, KPI audits, and scalable solutions—from a compact quick check to an integrated controlling system.

  • Performance marketing focuses on short-term results of individual campaigns. Marketing controlling goes further: it looks at the entire chain of impact—from reach and leads to brand strength and reputation—and connects operational metrics with strategic objectives.