Why Marketing Data Needs to Be Tied to Financials

Marketing teams and finance teams don’t always speak the same language, but the best brands make sure they do. Growth isn’t just about driving more revenue—it’s about ensuring that revenue is profitable, sustainable, and scalable. That only happens when marketing and financial planning are deeply connected.

For a lot of brands, marketing performance is measured in ROAS—return on ad spend. While that’s important, it’s not the full picture. A $2 ROAS on a campaign might sound good, but if the product has low margins or high return rates, that ad might actually be unprofitable. Understanding the relationship between customer acquisition cost (CAC), lifetime value (LTV), and gross margins is essential to making smarter marketing decisions.

Financially mature brands also integrate marketing data into their budgeting process.

Instead of setting arbitrary ad spend limits, they allocate budgets based on unit economics—spending only what makes sense within margin constraints. They also track how different acquisition channels impact cash flow. A TikTok-driven customer might convert faster but have a lower lifetime value than a Google-driven customer. If marketing and finance aren’t working together, these nuances get lost.

For younger companies, this kind of analysis is often handled by a strong controller or finance lead. As businesses grow, a dedicated FP&A (Financial Planning & Analysis) team typically takes on this role, modeling different growth scenarios and ensuring marketing dollars are aligned with long-term financial goals.

At Big Brains, we work directly with finance teams to bridge the gap between marketing and financial planning. Whether it’s tracking margin impact, optimizing budgets, or forecasting cash flow, we help brands ensure that every marketing dollar is driving both growth and profitability. Marketing that isn’t tied to financial outcomes is just spending. The brands that win treat it as an investment.