Time to learn from Messi, (Customer-Centric) Goals Matter More Than Ever

For marketers to truly drive value, commercial goals must be grounded in customer understanding.

The Planning Hub explore how we plan and prioritise, and why Goal setting isn’t a new concept but that aligning around the right ones might be the most overlooked opportunity in customer engagement today.

This new series of Planning Hub articles takes a forward-looking lens on human-led, AI-assisted planning. Derived from expert wisdom, we break down the core sections of planning, from audience strategy to measurement, to make them accessible to new audiences while reaffirming their importance for seasoned practitioners. The aim is to show that while AI offers powerful tools, it is human insight, empathy, and judgment that must remain at the heart of customer engagement.

Customer Planning Starts with Clarity

Setting targets is one thing. Defining the right kind of targets is another. Marketers around the table agreed: too often, organisations jump to tactics before they’ve grounded themselves in meaningful customer insight. Planning should begin by mapping business growth to real customer behaviours—retention, acquisition, and frequency—not just top-line revenue.

A common starting point was the customer growth model: a way of translating commercial ambitions into clear, actionable segments. How many customers are likely to return? How many new ones are needed to hit target? And how should each behave to deliver sustainable value?

“What do we need to achieve, and what does that mean in terms of the customers we have, need to keep, or need to find?”
– Jo Davis

This isn’t about replacing financial KPIs but enriching them. Teams that begin with customer-driven targets are better placed to focus their efforts, allocate spend, and avoid a scattergun approach.

The Case for Shared Metrics

Despite best intentions, many organisations still operate in silos. Different departments measure success in different ways—some chasing commercial performance, others optimising engagement. The result? A fragmented strategy, with customer value lost in translation.

“Everyone’s got their own KPIs. Without a shared goal, it’s hard to pull in the same direction.”
– Sarah Cartmell

Several contributors pointed to the need for a single shared language of success, grounded in customer-centricity. In some cases, that means creating new planning roles to coordinate efforts across teams. In others, it means refreshing how internal metrics are structured, reviewed, and rewarded.

“Customer-centricity doesn’t work unless someone owns it and can connect the dots across silos.”
– Adam Cochrane

And ownership doesn’t always need to sit with leadership. Meaningful goals gain traction when they’re understood and valued across the organisation.

Measurement that Matters

For customer goals to work, they must be visible, credible, and reviewed regularly. But not all metrics are created equal. The group warned against defaulting to superficial indicators—such as open rates or engagement spikes—without understanding what truly drives long-term value.

Instead, the conversation called for focused, well-scoped KPIs that connect daily activity with customer impact. Lifetime value (LTV), frequency of use, or customer satisfaction (CSAT) may be harder to track, but they build a stronger link between purpose and performance.

“You can set all the goals you want. But unless someone’s asking how it’s going, no one’s checking.”
– Andrea Winterhoff

Dashboards alone don’t create change. Metrics need meaning. And that requires regular conversation, team-wide accountability, and strategic context.

Overcoming the Product Trap

Even when teams begin with the customer in mind, it’s easy to fall back into a product-centric mindset. Fast timelines, short-term pressures, and internal incentives all play a role. But the group agreed: every initiative should be a chance to serve, not just sell.

Campaigns that flop often do so because they skipped the strategy step—diving straight into promotions or features before understanding what the customer wants.

“We’re all in business to drive results. Customer metrics only matter if people believe they drive the commercials.”
– Danny Crowe

Getting it right means carving out time to pause and ask: what is the customer problem we’re solving? And how will we know if we’ve made a difference? Goal setting is not admin. It’s not box-ticking. It’s the backbone of modern marketing. If customer engagement is going to be more than a buzzword, then planners—agency-side and client-side—need to lead from the front.

“You need a shared focus on the customers you’re here to serve. It’s not about the perfect metric.”
– Sally Hunter

Where Do We Go from Here?

Customer planning doesn’t need a rebrand. It needs recognition. As a career path. As a strategic function. As the thing that turns smart thinking into connected action.

The Customer Engagement Committee examines the interplay of creativity, data, and technology to explore loyalty and acquisition. They do so with research, events, and thought leadership. Apply to the councils here.

You can also join the waitlist for Customer Engagement 2025 where we address the questions of engagement, loyalty, retention, and customer win-back for the benefit of all UK marketers and consumers.