Why Your Marketing Mix Modeling is Lying to You (And How to Fix It)
Traditional attribution models can't handle today's complex customer journeys—here's how real-time MMM delivers 35% better ROI
Marketing mix models (MMMs) have always played a critical role here, helping brands cut through the noise to understand what's really working in driving business impact, but the traditional approach to MMM is fundamentally flawed for today's omnichannel reality.
The Attribution Delusion
Most marketers are using MMM systems built for a simpler time—when customer journeys were linear and touchpoints were discrete. Today's customer might see your TikTok ad, research on Google, read reviews on Reddit, visit your website, abandon their cart, see a retargeting ad on Instagram, and finally purchase in-store after receiving an email promotion.
Traditional MMM systems can't handle this complexity, leading to wildly inaccurate attribution and budget allocation decisions that destroy ROI.
The Real-Time Revolution
Today's MMMs can provide real-time insights, enabling swift responses to changes in the economy and demand. Additionally, Meridian extends MMM capabilities to encompass always-on channel Search to provide a view of marketing performance previously unattainable.
The brands winning in 2025 are moving beyond quarterly MMM reports to real-time measurement systems that can detect performance changes within days, not months. This speed advantage allows for immediate optimization and prevents budget waste.
Building Better Models
Modern MMM needs to account for non-linear customer journeys, cross-device behavior, and the interaction effects between channels. The most sophisticated models now incorporate machine learning to identify patterns that human analysts miss.
The key is building models that can distinguish between correlation and causation, accounting for external factors like seasonality, competitive activity, and economic conditions that traditional models often ignore.
Forecast: Brands using real-time MMM will achieve 35% better ROI by 2026 compared to those relying on traditional quarterly models, as they can optimize campaigns during flights rather than after they end.