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June 17, 2021 | Gina Michnowicz
Why We Should Rethink Performance Marketing
Fans of performance marketing, hear this: Creativity may be risky, but it can be far more rewarding, both for job satisfaction and ROI.
Note: This was originally published in June 2021 and updated with a new example in November 2025.
In recent years, I’ve noticed an increased focus on tying revenue to marketing tactics. And while I absolutely believe in the importance of ROI, I’m not a fan of where this hyperfocus has taken us. When performance becomes the only goal, marketers fall into the trap of rote, formulaic marketing. The strategies may be considered tried and true, but the problem is that the market changes. What worked yesterday may not work tomorrow. On top of that, “tried and true” often turns into “rinse and repeat.” That’s not our thing. At The Craftsman, we craft compelling stories and experiences that inspire the desired behaviors from your audience.
The ROI Trap
I get it: There’s fear that an idea won’t work. There’s also pressure to make the numbers. However, marketing should be about creativity and connection as well as performance. First and foremost, it should be about finding original ways to tell stories that move people to act. Evidence shows that creativity yields better results when it’s executed effectively.
Performance marketing can be both entertaining and fun while still delivering results. The trick is setting realistic goals and remembering that ROI doesn’t always show up in the same way—or on the same timeline. I recently heard from a client whose executives wanted to see a 7x ROI for a single campaign. You may be able to reach that target with a well-crafted campaign, but that goal may not be suitable for every project.
Lofty goals can drive ambition, but they can also lead to short-term thinking. Some investments build brand equity or trust that eventually influence pipeline, even if they don’t immediately convert it.
Creativity That Performs
When you blend creativity with performance goals, that’s when the magic happens.
We partnered with a global cybersecurity firm and a major movie studio for two consecutive campaigns tied to the release of blockbuster superhero films. The first showed how the brand’s identity tools helped protect users from cyberthreats—just like the movie’s heroes guard the galaxy. The campaign took off across digital, streaming, and social, outperforming expectations on both engagement and leads.
Building on that success, we followed with a second brand partnership campaign. The story for this next film, which was focused on three heroes uniting to battle cybervillains, perfectly aligned with the client’s three powerful security features. We met audiences where they were, from TikTok to fan events, and the results spoke for themselves. We broke records for engagement and exceeded lead goals. These campaigns proved that creative storytelling can drive measurable performance.
Creative Campaign Ideas That Perform
Finding the overlap
Finding the Balance
Performance marketing should be tightly integrated with customer experience and journey. (More on that in my next blog post.) Some tactics build awareness, others drive conversion—but together, they form a journey. If you don’t see results from an idea you thought was great, it’s not a failure; it’s feedback. What does that tell you about your audience? What can you refine? Or is there something wrong with your tracking, if engagement and initial click-through rates are high but conversions lag?
Marketing isn’t a formula—it’s a dialogue and tool to build relationships. That’s what keeps it exciting.
Let’s Make Marketing Fun Again
Didn’t we go into marketing to have fun? Let’s take smart risks. Let’s find the balance of telling stories in new, inventive ways while still driving measurable results. Let’s commit to no more boring marketing. You’ll find that creativity isn’t the enemy of performance. It’s the catalyst.
“Creativity isn’t the enemy of performance—it’s the catalyst.”
Want to garner successful results while having more fun? Contact us for a marketing assessment.