Restaurants are moving in the direction that consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers took some years ago. Continuous measurement and evaluation of marketing channels such as television, radio, internet and print and in-store promotions is either in practice or under consideration at a number of leading restaurant chains.

Successful marketers have long-recognized the fact that marketing must be viewed as an investment, and not simply a line-item expense. Like any investment, marketing programs must be evaluated on the incremental returns they generate, and the ability to do that exists today in a growing number of industries.

If a client knows that a movie promotion generated a sales increase of 35% for a particular item in his restaurants, he can ensure that he has sufficient supply on hand to meet the demand for future promotions.

If I want to hear covers, I'll listen to the radio.