step six: Measure 161 As the evidence shows, Starwood Vacation Ownership's measures are on the mark. Through investments in Precision Marketing the company increased response rates by 15 per cent and booking rates by 24 per cent in the first six months of its programme. The company was also able to reach customers who had booked packages but not yet scheduled them, boosting activation rates by 20 per cent within a given arrival time (Figure 8.2). Tracking the results of its campaigns helps Starwood marketers to docu- ment the results they delivered and to set the stage for future Precision Marketing efforts. F i g u r e 8.2 Standard Vacation Ownership Precision Marketing Results 15% increase in response rates 20% increase in booking rates 20% increase in activation rates The nationwide Building society builds relationships In another example, Britain's Nationwide Building Society, a full-service financial services provider and the world's largest building society, shows how active measurement and tracking can enhance the precision and performance of a company's marketing strategy or plan. Recognizing that highly personalized service was the key to reducing churn and strengthening profitability, the organization launched an exten- sive customer initiative to connect with its 11 million customers in a more engaging and profitable fashion. The company actively tracked retention rates as well as cross-sell numbers to ensure its initiatives were delivering expected returns.