When the ABC Corporation first opened their doors for business, they had no idea how much to allocate to promotional expenditures. They decided that if they wanted to be as successful as their leading competitors, they needed to invest in the brand to the same level. After tracking the marketing tactics of the competition, they were able to estimate the costs and develop a realistic budget that the marketing director was able to spend throughout the year to achieve their communications goals. This is an example of a(n) _____________, fill in the blank, approach to budgeting.