South Africa, Oct. 15 -- Marketing purists

For the marketing purists, the idea of being measured on financial metrics can be a tough pill to swallow.

Research from consulting firm Deloitte's highlights that some companies are embedding marketing measurement teams under finance to better align marketing and financial performance metrics, with higher-growth businesses far more likely to have this kind of C-suite alignment. With global marketing budgets stabilising at about 7.7% of company revenue, the space to make mistakes is thin; every Rand must show a path to profit and payback.

South Africa's context strengthens the case for tighter finance-marketing alignment. Digital's share of our ad market has surged, with internet advertising u...