Google’s paradigm shift in attribution methodology has sparked an intriguing question: Is it a marketer’s job to care about how tools function as long as they deliver results?
The recent decision by Google’s GA4 to deprecate numerous attribution models, nudging marketers toward Data-Driven Attribution (DDA), has sparked considerable debate in the advertising community. While the crux of the matter is the black-box nature of DDA — we’re unsure of its internal workings — a more profound issue lies beneath the surface: should marketers care about how tools function as long as they deliver results?
Google’s paradigm shift in attribution methodology represents not just a change but a call to action. Success in this era of marketing demands a marriage between creativity and rigor with a healthy dose of proven expertise. Measurement and attribution have surged in prominence and now require a richer understanding to deliver results to the CFO, CEO, and board. How do we know how to trust, though? How do we know someone has that expertise?
Blind Faith in Tools Marginzalizes Marketing
In industries such as medicine, law, and accountancy, professionals undergo stringent certifications and barriers to entry — something conspicuously absent in marketing. It’s easy to lump marketers into a homogenous group, often undermining their advice. But what differentiates an exceptional marketer from an average one?
Some argue dialogue is the key, but relying solely on conversations is not how we delineate a credible doctor from an imposter or a lawyer from a charlatan. Seeking experts implies banking on their superior knowledge. Boards, CFOs, and CEOs must know the right questions to ask marketers to properly determine credibility and expertise. This is where Google’s move to DDA and other black-box approaches within our industry are dangerous.
Imagine if you went in for an MRI and the doctor wasn’t allowed to look at the images but instead had to trust whatever diagnosis the machine spit out. We wouldn’t stand for it, yet in marketing, this is becoming commonplace! The mindset that if something is effective, the nuances of its operation don’t matter, is harmful and inexcusable for marketing professionals. Blind faith in tools, such as DDA, without comprehension only further marginalizes our profession.
It’s Time to Pull Back the Curtains
Transparency is pivotal as we tread the realm of measurement and attribution. While major tech platforms are reshaping the landscape, they haven’t fully illuminated the intricacies of how their attribution models function.
Thousands of data scientists converging on a “best ever” measurement and attribution algorithm is exciting for our field. Still, platforms are self-interested and it is our job to extract maximum value from a marketing dollar. This can only be done with unobstructed visibility into measurement and attribution processes, offering clarity on user pathways and pinpointing those primed for client conversions.
For example, does the attribution methodology consider the “mental weight” of a video ad compared to display? Likely. What about in-stream vs. out-stream? Perhaps. What about frequency within each ad type? Frequency thresholds? Search behavior and previous brand interactions?
Of course, the big question is, at what point do platforms have more information about a brand or product than the brand or product themselves, but aren’t sharing it? “We can’t share your MRI images with you because we have MRI images of everyone in the country,” isn’t reassuring!
Agility Is Indispensable to the Future of Marketing
As the digital marketing world experiences seismic shifts, agility is indispensable. The emergence of AI and novel attribution methodologies necessitates brands to not only fathom but to interrogate.
Armed with lessons from the past, marketers can contextualize current strategies and forecast trends. Yet, embracing new technologies mandates fresh skills. Absent these, marketers risk obsolescence.
To truly thrive, marketers must invest in understanding today’s tools and methodologies. In other sectors, professionals care about the intricacies, the hows, and the whys, even if results are achieved. In marketing, unquestioning trust in machinery and tools can be our downfall. Our commitment today will shape our relevance and value tomorrow.