Sedrick Sparks on Measuring Marketing ROI: Why Accountability Matters in a Multi-Channel World

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESS Newswire / February 12, 2026 /Sedrick Sparks, a Los Angeles-based marketing strategist, is calling for a renewed focus on return on investment and accountability as marketers face mounting pressure to justify spend and performance. As marketing costs continue to rise and channels multiply, one-third of marketers now say their biggest challenge is measuring campaign effectiveness.

According to Sparks, the problem is not a lack of data. It is a lack of clarity. "Marketing teams are running five to eight channels at the same time, " Sparks said. "Paid media, email, social, content, partnerships, events. Everyone is busy, but very few teams can clearly explain which efforts are actually driving results. "

This fragmentation has made attribution increasingly complex. Prospects may interact with a brand across multiple touchpoints before converting, often over long sales cycles. Without a clear system to connect those interactions, performance measurement becomes inconsistent and subjective.

Sedrick Sparks notes that many organizations still rely on channel-level metrics that look impressive in isolation but fail to reflect real business impact. Impressions, clicks, and engagement rates may signal activity, but they do not always translate into pipeline or revenue. "Executives are no longer satisfied with vanity metrics, " Sparks said. "They want to know what moved the needle. They want to see how marketing contributes to growth, not just awareness. "

As a former chief marketing officer who has overseen budgets and performance across both local and multinational organizations, Sparks understands the pressure marketing leaders face. He explains that accountability has become a defining expectation for modern marketing teams, especially in environments where budgets are scrutinized more closely than ever.

One of the biggest obstacles, Sedrick Sparks says, is disconnected data. Marketing performance data often lives in multiple platforms, from ad dashboards and CRM systems to analytics tools and spreadsheets. Without centralization, teams struggle to build a single, reliable view of performance. "When data is scattered, reporting becomes slow and inconsistent, " Sparks said. "Different teams tell different stories using different numbers. That erodes trust. " Sparks advocates for data centralization as a foundational step toward accountability. By aligning marketing, sales, and revenue data within a shared framework, organizations can better understand how campaigns influence outcomes across the entire customer journey.

Transparent reporting is equally important. Sparks encourages marketing leaders to move away from overly complex reports that obscure insight. Instead, he advises teams to focus on a small set of agreed-upon metrics tied directly to business objectives. "Good reporting should create alignment, " Sparks said. "Everyone should be looking at the same numbers and drawing the same conclusions. "

He also stresses the importance of setting measurement expectations early. Too often, campaigns are launched without clear success criteria. When results are reviewed later, teams debate what should matter instead of evaluating performance against predefined goals. "Accountability starts before the campaign launches, " Sedrick Sparks said. "If you cannot define success upfront, you cannot measure it afterwards. "

Through his consultancy, Sedrick Sparks works with companies across California and throughout the United States to design measurement frameworks that balance precision with practicality. His approach focuses on connecting strategy, execution, and reporting to communicate marketing performance to stakeholders clearly.

Sedrick Sparks also highlights the role of cross-functional collaboration. Attribution challenges often stem from misalignment between marketing, sales, and finance teams. When these groups operate in silos, it becomes difficult to trace how marketing activity influences revenue outcomes. "Marketing does not exist in a vacuum, " Sparks said. "You need shared definitions, shared data, and shared accountability. " He believes that marketers who embrace transparency, even when results fall short, will earn greater credibility within their organizations. Honest reporting builds trust and enables better decision-making over time.

As the marketing landscape continues to evolve, Sparks sees ROI measurement as a competitive advantage. Teams that can clearly demonstrate value will have more influence, more stability, and more room to innovate. "The future belongs to marketers who can explain not just what they did, but why it mattered, " Sparks said.

As marketers face more fragmented channels and rising expectations, Sparks 's message is clear. Data centralization and transparent reporting are no longer optional. They are essential to proving value, earning trust, and sustaining long-term growth.

To learn more visit: https://sedricksparks.com/

Contact Sedrick Sparks: email sparks@sedricksparks.com

SOURCE: Sedrick Sparks

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

© 2026 ACCESS Newswire. All Rights Reserved.