DAGMAR, an acronym for Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Results, is a strategic and scientific approach to assessing the effectiveness of an advertising campaign and determining the best practices for reaching and influencing target audiences. It was proposed by physical chemist and marketer Russell Colley as a way of measuring and optimizing the performance of an advertising campaign by taking into account all environmental, social, and market conditions.

The DAGMAR model outlines four key stages in an effective advertising campaign: causing awareness, comprehension, conviction, and action. Awareness is defined as getting the message out to the right reach target and providing them with a basic understanding. Comprehension involves proving that the target audience has fully understood and accepted the intended message. Conviction necessitates a deep belief and understanding of the product, making sure that the target audience is convinced before they take the next step and make a purchase. Action is the ultimate objective of the campaign - prompting the target to take some sort of action based on the message.

In order for a campaign to be successful, the DAGMAR model requires that the objectives and goals for each step of the campaign be set in advance. This allows for an evaluation of the campaign’s effectiveness against a standardized benchmark. Furthermore, companies that embrace the DAGMAR model stress the importance of researching and understanding the target market - including learning about their values, beliefs, and needs - to ensure that the campaign resonates with the desired audience.

The DAGMAR model has been widely adopted by marketers and researchers as a systematic way to measure the performance of advertising campaigns and set goals. It allows marketers to directly measure the success of an advertising campaign and continually assess it against pre-requirements. By identifying potential areas of improvement and focusing on what activities causes the most engagement and drives conversions, the DAGMAR evaluates an entire advertising campaign and helps businesses find the best tactics and strategies for reaching and influencing their target audience.