Setting goals according to Effie guidelines helps teams define more clearly what they want to achieve and how they will measure it. For this reason, they developed a guide to effective goal setting, within which five stages of the sales funnel are defined and analyzed by objective and KPI for each of them.
- Awareness
The first stage is awareness, which is key to building brand recognition, with the aim of raising awareness of the brand, its values, and its mission. The focus is on emotional storytelling to build an emotional connection with the brand. In terms of social media, the goal is to achieve unpaid follower growth as well as unpaid growth in views and interactions. Key performance indicators (KPIs) defined for this first stage include organic reach, follower growth, SEO, and unpaid impressions.
- Consideration
After creating awareness, the next stage is consideration, in which interest is encouraged, as well as independent customer engagement and research. The focus is on functional benefits such as design, ingredients, or features. Regarding social media, examples of digital objectives include an increase in video view percentage, follower growth on social media, and click-through rates on unpaid posts. KPIs are focused on CTR, bounce rate, and video views.
- Purchase
The third stage involves purchase, where the objective is defined by conversions into purchases or campaign actions. The emphasis is on commercial tactics, with direct calls to action. Some of the digital goals include an increase in purchases through email or digital advertising, as well as voluntary sign-ups and memberships for online programs. Relevant performance indicators for this stage include average basket value, new conversions – meaning how many visits resulted in purchases, ROI, and CPA.
- Loyalty
The fourth stage of the sales funnel is defined as loyalty, where the emphasis is also on commercial tactics. The goal here is to retain users through long-term relationships and repeated interactions. Key KPIs include repeat purchases, reduced churn, and loyalty program participation.
- Advocacy
The final stage is advocacy, where customers actually become brand ambassadors, and the goal is to encourage recommendations and content sharing. This stage strives for inspiration and customer recognition. Highlighted online objectives include an increase in page shares as well as growth in word-of-mouth interactions. Standout KPIs include reviews, shares, and social media recommendations.
Effie has provided, through these guidelines, a clear and useful framework for all those who want to show what results stand behind their campaigns. The focus shifts from how the idea looks to how much it actually works – and what kind of impact it leaves behind. Clear objectives and measurable success are the foundation of campaigns that deserve to be recognized, and we at Media Marketing look forward to seeing how these guidelines will inspire creatives across our region.
For all those who wish to enter their campaigns for the prestigious Effie Slovenia awards, it is important to respect the deadlines and choose the right moment to apply. Submissions for Effie 2025 are open until September 19, and entry fees vary depending on the deadline: for early entry by August 8, the fee is €500 + VAT; for standard entry by August 25, the fee is €750 + VAT; and for the final deadline, the fee is €999 + VAT.
