Situation: Q2 growth accelerated, but rising acquisition costs now threaten the efficiency and sustainability of future growth. Key findings: Increased revenue by 18% through stronger customer acquisition activity Identified a 25% increase in customer acquisition cost Found that paid advertising drove most growth Detected a 14% decline in organic traffic performance Linked growth dependency to paid channels rather than diversified sources Recommendation: Approve a targeted budget increase tied to measurable performance goals rather than a blanket 40% expansion. Risk or trade-off: This approach may slow short-term growth if advertising spend faces limits, but it reduces long-term dependence on expensive acquisition channels. Next step: Marketing leadership will submit a revised performance-based budget plan by Friday. CEO reviews and approves next week.