Google launches privacy-focused measurement tool for advertisers

Google launched a new measurement tool for advertisers in anticipation of its plan to phase out third-party cookies later this year.

Meridian, an open-source Marketing Mix Model (MMM), has been introduced to help advertisers analyze campaign performance while prioritizing user privacy.

Accessibility. Meridian is currently available to select users. However, Google plans to make it accessible to all marketers and data scientists in the near future.

What are MMMs? Marketing Mix Models are statistical analysis methods that determine the effectiveness of campaigns by measuring the impact of marketing strategies alongside sales and customer retention efforts.

Why we care. Traditionally, Marketing Mix Models (MMMs) have been both costly and time-consuming to develop, often taking weeks, months, or even years. However, Meridian provides a more accessible approach to open-sourcing MMMs, enabling marketers to measure campaign performance efficiently while aligning with stricter online privacy laws.

Key benefits. As explained by Google, Meridian anchors on:

• Innovation: Meridian improves MMMs with innovations like calibration through incrementality experiments, integrating reach and frequency, and providing guidance on measuring search. These enhancements apply to all relevant media channels.
• Transparency: As an open-source solution, Meridian is fully transparent, allowing anyone to review the code and methodology innovations it’s built upon.
• Actionability: Meridian can help marketers to make better decisions by offering rich data inputs, model guidance, and cross-channel budget optimization.
• Education: Meridian users will have access to a range of resources for implementation and use. This includes detailed technical documentation with FAQs for troubleshooting. If users have additional questions, they can connect with Google and partner support for assistance.

What Google is saying. Harikesh Nair, Google’s Senior Director, Data Science, said in a statement:

• “As advertisers search for comprehensive and privacy-durable measurement solutions, MMMs are experiencing a renaissance. “
• “According to a study with Kantar, 60% of US advertisers are currently using MMMs, and 58% of those not using these models are considering doing so in the future. We have observed more customers turning to MMMs, especially performance and full-funnel marketers.”
• “MMMs today are not perfect, but are evolving. With Meridian, we look to help your team navigate toward your future North Star, both through innovation, and by sharing our data in conjunction with an open source model.”

Deep dive. Read Google’s announcement in full for more information.