Beyond Last Click: A Recap of Our Conversation on Unified Marketing Measurement

Marketers know that last-click attribution has long been the standard for measuring marketing effectiveness. However, as advertising channels multiply and consumer behavior grows increasingly complex, brands must move beyond last-click attribution to truly understand what drives performance. In our recent webinar, Ashley McAlpin (Head of Marketing at Rockerbox) and Courtney Bittelari (Director of Analytics at New Engen) explored how brands are shifting towards a more unified approach to measurement and leveraging multi-touch attribution (MTA), marketing mix modeling (MMM), and incrementality testing to make smarter marketing investments.

If you missed the live session, you can catch the replay here.  

The Shift from Last-Click Attribution to Unified Measurement

Last-click attribution was once a default because it was simple and readily available, but its flaws have become increasingly apparent. It gives 100% of the credit to the final touchpoint, ignoring the earlier interactions that influence conversions. This often leads brands to over-invest in lower-funnel tactics at the expense of long-term brand growth.

According to Courtney, brands that are moving beyond last-click are realizing that measurement is no longer just about tracking what drove a sale, but about understanding what truly drives business performance over time. By combining multi-touch attribution, MMM, and incrementality testing, brands can develop a clearer picture of both short-term optimization and long-term growth strategies.

How MTA, MMM, and Incrementality Testing Work Together

Each of these methodologies plays a unique role in measurement:

• Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA): Provides granular, near-real-time insights into how different touchpoints contribute to conversions. It’s best suited for day-to-day campaign optimization.
• Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM): Analyzes historical data (typically over 2+ years) to assess how different marketing channels contribute to sales and determine budget allocation. It’s valuable for strategic decision-making but isn’t designed for daily optimization.
• Incrementality Testing: Measures the causal impact of marketing activities by running controlled experiments. This is the only method that proves causality, making it a critical validation tool for both MTA and MMM.

By integrating these methodologies, brands avoid relying on a single source of truth and instead leverage a more comprehensive, data-driven approach to measurement.

Aligning KPIs for Short-Term Optimization & Long-Term Growth

One of the biggest challenges brands face is balancing short-term campaign performance with long-term business goals. Ashley and Courtney emphasized the importance of defining a KPI framework that integrates both perspectives.

Key considerations for KPI alignment:

1. Ensure clarity across teams. Different departments (Marketing, Finance, Analytics) often define KPIs differently (e.g., ROAS based on gross vs. net sales). Having a single source of truth prevents discrepancies.
2. Tie KPIs to real business outcomes. Avoid vanity metrics and instead track metrics that directly impact growth, such as incremental revenue, customer lifetime value (LTV), and market penetration.
3. Segment KPIs by funnel stage. Lower-funnel efforts should focus on conversion rates, CPA, and ROAS, while upper-funnel efforts should measure brand awareness, engagement, and share of voice.

Turning Insights into Action: Practical Application of Measurement

Data is only valuable if it leads to action. Ashley and Courtney shared best practices for transforming insights into strategic marketing decisions:

• Use MTA for day-to-day optimizations. Adjust budgets and creative assets based on granular insights.
• Let MMM guide long-term budget allocation. If MMM reveals an unexpected incremental opportunity, validate it with incrementality testing before making significant budget shifts.
• Leverage incrementality testing to validate assumptions. If your MMM suggests a high return on a particular channel, run a test to confirm its actual impact before making adjustments.
• Regularly document and socialize test results. Avoid re-running the same tests and ensure findings are incorporated into future strategies.

The Future of Marketing Measurement

Looking ahead, the most successful brands will adopt a Unified Measurement approach, leveraging MTA, MMM, and testing in tandem. As Ashley pointed out, measurement is no longer just a marketing challenge—it’s a business challenge. Brands that integrate these methodologies will make smarter investment decisions and build future-proof marketing strategies.

Courtney also noted emerging trends such as:

• Privacy-first measurement: As tracking restrictions grow, brands must invest in first-party data strategies and probabilistic modeling.
• AI-powered insights: AI will help streamline data aggregation and trend detection, but human oversight remains critical for accuracy.
• The rise of retail media & CTV: As new ad platforms emerge, measurement must adapt to offline and brand-building impacts beyond digital performance.

Final Thoughts & Next Steps

A huge thank you to New Engen and Courtney Bittelari for sharing their insights, and to everyone who joined us live! If you want to explore how Rockerbox can help you unify your measurement strategy, we invite you to book a demo with our team.

Additionally, if you're interested in learning more about Unified Measurement, download our Unified Measurement Playbook for a deeper dive into the frameworks we discussed in this webinar.

Watch the webinar recording here.
Schedule a Rockerbox demo here.

Stay tuned for more discussions on the future of measurement, and we hope to see you at our next event!