"The application of "Marketing Finance Analysis" will empower marketers with a robust marketing accountability analysis leading to Evidence Based Marketing Strategy - what is know as "Investment Planning"" stated Sam Dias, Director, Brandscience UK and Q&E Advertising, conducting the last CIM Talking Point programme "How to Measure Your Marketing ROI", held recently at Galadari Hotel. The programme was organised by The Chartered Institute of Marketing Sri Lanka Region in collaboration with The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka and Q and E Advertising, sponsored exclusively by HSBC - The world’s local bank.

Dias stated that it is not only the growing influence by Finance and Procurement Departments that has urged marketers to be accountable but also the need for robust evidence to develop and substantiate strategic business plans and the effects of marketing campaigns. He stated that the development of econometric tools has enabled marketers to deploy scarce resource in an optimal manner. Talking of the evolution of the "Marketing Finance" function, he stated that the divorce of marketing and finance orientations has created a demand for professionals with both marketing and finance expertise. Paraphrasing the famous statement - "Half of my advertising spend is wasted and I don’t know which half" –Dias stated that with the development of several useful econometric models facilitating analysis and information based decision making, this statement is now being largely invalidated.