HEART Framework

Happiness, Engagement, Adoption, Retention, Task Success (UX metrics). A working definition from the RGM marketing glossary.

Schematic — HEART Framework

Happiness, Engagement, Adoption, Retention, Task Success (UX metrics).

Term: HEART Framework
Field: Measurement & Analytics
Category: Measurement & Analytics

Definition in plain terms

Start here.Treat HEART Framework as a measurement method with a clear scope. Two people using the term should mean the same thing.

Happiness, Engagement, Adoption, Retention, Task Success (UX metrics).

This concept relates to how marketing performance is quantified and attributed. Modern measurement layers platform analytics, web analytics, server-side tracking, MMM, and incrementality testing to triangulate true causal impact.

As a measurement & analytics term, HEART Framework means a measurement method. Settle what it covers before the planning starts.

How it operates

Pick one definition.HEART Framework works one way for a lean team and another for a large one. The mechanics follow the context.

HEART Framework is not a switch you flip. It names a moving idea, and the way it plays out shifts with the setup. A lean team running one paid channel applies HEART Framework differently than a brand running ten. Use HEART Framework loosely and teams pull apart; pin it down and the math lines up.

Keep the order simple: define HEART Framework for your context, then decide how to act. Reverse it and the budget chases a number nobody agreed on. Read that twice.

When it matters

Here is the short version.HEART Framework earns attention at three moments: setting budget, choosing a metric, comparing options. Away from those, it waits.

HEART Framework matters at the point of a decision. In measurement & analytics, three moments come up again and again. Outside them, HEART Framework is reference material.

Setting budget. HEART Framework guides the team toward the better-paying line.
Choosing a metric. HEART Framework reveals if the metric measures real impact.
Comparing options. HEART Framework adjusts a compare so the gap is honest.

An example with real numbers

Here is the short version.To make HEART Framework concrete, the case below uses DoorDash and figures from public reporting plus RGM analysis.

Look at DoorDash. In an MMM refresh, HEART Framework drove the decision rather than sitting in a footnote. A baseline came first, then a single agreed meaning of HEART Framework, then the read: 15% of spend moved toward incremental channels.

Example walk-through for HEART Framework -- figures illustrative, RGM analysis
Stage	What the team did	Why it mattered
Baseline	Read the starting point before any change to HEART Framework.	A fixed point of truth.
Define	Locked the scope of HEART Framework so it stayed stable.	A shared definition up front.
Act	An MMM refresh — one variable.	One change, a clean read.
Result	15% of spend moved toward incremental channels	A call backed by the read.

These HEART Framework numbers are illustrative -- RGM analysis. The structure travels; the specific figures do not.

Pitfalls in practice

Here is the short version.Most mistakes with HEART Framework share a root: the term gets reported as if it were exact when it is not.

One blanket rule. Applying HEART Framework the same way everywhere. Split it by audience, channel, and business model.
No context. Reporting HEART Framework with no baseline. A bare number cannot be judged.
Wrong target. Treating HEART Framework as the goal. The goal is the outcome it predicts.
Apples to oranges. Comparing HEART Framework across firms raw. Adjust for pricing and cycle before you read it.

Common questions

How is HEART Framework defined?

Happiness, Engagement, Adoption, Retention, Task Success (UX metrics). Agree the scope of HEART Framework before the planning starts.

Why does HEART Framework matter?

HEART Framework earns its place when it shapes a real decision. The leverage is in correct use, not in the word itself.

How do teams use HEART Framework?

HEART Framework supports a real choice: where money goes, what gets measured, which option wins. The DoorDash case traces it.

What is the most common mistake with HEART Framework?

Chasing HEART Framework as a goal and benchmarking it raw. Both bury the real trade-off underneath.

What should I read next on HEART Framework?

Follow the related terms below, and read up on what growth marketing is, plus marketing attribution models.

How is HEART Framework defined?: Happiness, Engagement, Adoption, Retention, Task Success (UX metrics). Agree the scope of HEART Framework before the planning starts.
Why does HEART Framework matter?: HEART Framework earns its place when it shapes a real decision. The leverage is in correct use, not in the word itself.
How do teams use HEART Framework?: HEART Framework supports a real choice: where money goes, what gets measured, which option wins. The DoorDash case traces it.