Posts about Data & Measurement
How to spot bad marketing reports
TL;DR Many marketing reports are fluff disguised as research. The biggest red flag? Headline numbers showing spectacular results without providing methodology, data sources, or context. This is especially true when basic averages are used without indicators of the spread of the data. Averages don't mean typical, especially in marketing where data is rarely normally distributed, or in reports with small or specific samples. Before trusting any report, demand transparency: methodology, sample details, data spread, and discussion of limitations. Use multiple sources to identify patterns, but never substitute benchmarks for your own testing. Stay skeptical, ask better questions, and build strategies on solid ground rather than marketing spin.
4 minute read
Deep diving into e-commerce measurement
TL;DR E-commerce success isn't just about ROAS. Smart marketers look beyond surface metrics to understand customer lifetime value, profitability, and the full customer journey. This means balancing short-term acquisition costs with long-term customer value, especially during high-stakes periods like Black Friday. Performance marketers often get tunnel vision on return on ad spend, but the reality is messier. The most successful e-commerce businesses understand that profitable growth trumps vanity metrics every time.
4 minute read.png)
Your 2025 guide to Black Friday/Cyber Monday performance marketing
TL;DR
7 minute read
What makes a good marketing audit?
TL;DR A proper audit has two components: performance marketing (finding wasted spend and scaling opportunities) and analytics foundation (ensuring your tracking setup is accurate). Focus on immediate wins like pausing zero-conversion keywords, implementing server-side tracking, and setting up automated alerts. Expect 5-15% variance between platforms—anything higher signals broken tracking. Document everything, audit quarterly, and prioritize fixes by ROI impact.
4 minute read
Beyond attribution: understanding the incremental impact of your marketing
Originally published September 2023, updated July 2025 for relevancy TL;DR The world of marketing measurement is complex and traditional attribution methods often fail to share the whole story. We believe that incrementality is a more reliable determiner of revenue outcomes than many attribution models. Incrementality is all about measuring the real impact of our ads – the stuff that wouldn't have happened without them. We measure incrementality in two ways: experiments and testing media mix modeling To get started, we suggest running small experiments and begin building an understanding of how different media channels contribute to top-line revenue.
9 minute readAd targeting: is it really that precise?
Ad targeting is one of the biggest selling points of digital marketing, but how accurate is it really? In this episode, we challenge the assumption that ad targeting is as precise as marketers believe. We discuss the pitfalls of audience segmentation, the over-reliance on machine learning, and the growing importance of creative in a world where targeting is becoming less effective.
3 minute readAnswering your biggest performance marketing questions
Performance marketing is constantly evolving, and we know you have questions. In this special Q&A episode, we took your questions about performance marketing, from AI’s impact to reporting best practices and answered them in this wide-spanning conversation.
3 minute readAttribution is overrated
Attribution: why it matters and where marketers go wrong Attribution is overrated — or at least, that was our hypothesis going into episode 14 of The Hypothesis. In this episode, we dive into the complexities of attribution in marketing. What does it really mean? How can marketers assign value to their activities amidst flawed data and imperfect systems? Join us as we break down the concepts, discuss common pitfalls, and explore better approaches to measuring marketing effectiveness.
2 minute readIncrementality is the only important marketing metric
Incrementality is the only metric that matters — or at least, that was our hypothesis going into episode two of our video series, The Hypothesis. In this episode, we delve into the challenges and considerations of using incrementality as your primary method of understanding marketing effectiveness. Our chat includes seasonality, how long these tests take, and the level of sophistication required for different advertising programs. Learn about the importance of regular testing, questioning assumptions in marketing measurement, and how to start your own incrementality tests. Watch the full video below or listen to the episode here to get this conversation in its entirety. More of a skimmer? Keep reading for our top takeaways.
2 minute read