What is a performance goal?

• A. A guess about future sales
• B. A plan to reduce costs by 20 percent
• C. A target with a measurable numeric value that can apply to marketing goals or specific campaigns
• D. A qualitative, opinion-based objective

Answer: (C)

A performance goal is a target stated with a numeric, measurable value that you aim to achieve for a marketing effort or campaign. This quantifies what success looks like and lets you track progress, compare actual results to the target, and determine whether a campaign met its objectives. For example, aiming to increase online sales by 15% in the next quarter or to acquire 3,000 new email subscribers by month end are performance goals because they specify exactly what you want to achieve in measurable terms. The other options don’t fit as well: a guess about future sales isn’t anchored to a specific target; a plan to reduce costs describes an action rather than a measurable outcome; and a qualitative, opinion-based objective lacks a numeric measure to assess performance.