Palo Alto, CA (September 7 , 2006)— After more than two years of exhaustive research revealing that marketing performance measurement (MPM) is a top priority among marketers even as they struggle to plan and implement it, the CMO Council today launches Mastering MPM™, a program for marketing professionals that offers intensive Marketing Performance Measurement training as well as validation of MPM knowledge and skills.

The CMO Council is dedicated to high-level knowledge exchange, thought leadership and personal relationship building among more than 2,500 senior marketing decision makers controlling more than $ 60 billion in annual marketing spend worldwide.

The Mastering MPM program stems from the CMO Council’s landmark Measures + Metrics study in 2004, which found that just 13 percent of marketers had formal marketing performance measurement systems, as well as feedback from hundreds of marketers who participated in the Council’s 2005 MPM Forum series, held in major U.S. and European venues. In response, the Council is providing an MPM curriculum and certificate program that will help advance marketing measurement systems critical to business success, as well as improve individual career advancement.

This program benefits organizations by providing participants leading-edge knowledge and best practices that can be applied to establish an MPM program or improve an existing program. Participants will be prepared to provide immediate added value to their organizations by helping to create an MPM culture, defining an MPM framework, and executing specific MPM tactics that will help improve ROI, marketing efficiency, and effectiveness.

The MPM Certificate Program begins Monday, September 11 and concludes Friday, November 17, 2006. The program consists of online participation and independent study. The curriculum includes the completion of an MPM Self-Assessment Audit, prescribed core readings, three topical webcasts, and an MPM independent project report, which will be assessed by the program’s Academic Directors. For more program information or to register, go to: http://www.mpmforum.org/register.asp.

“Marketing performance measurement is a required barometer for proving marketing’s worth, but the expertise needed to implement such systems has proved elusive to many,” said Donovan Neale-May, executive director of the CMO Council. “We’re pleased to offer a curriculum that will provide marketers with a better understanding of the factors that influence successful MPM programs, as well as practical hands-on experience.”

About the CMO Council
The CMO Council is dedicated to high-level knowledge exchange, thought leadership and personal relationship building among senior marketing and brand decision-makers across a wide-range of global industries. Nearly 2,500 top marketing executives are represented on the CMO Council, accounting for well over $50 billion in aggregated annual revenues. Visit the CMO Council Web site to find out about the initiatives geared to address executive marketers’ challenges at www.cmocouncil.org.