by Tobi Elkin, Staff Writer @tobielkin, April 7, 2017

Google has been creating a steady drip of new developments in recent weeks as it seeks to assure marketers that it is addressing brand safety issues. (April 24, 2017), it announced the launch of the Marketing Mix Model Partners (MMMP) program, which aims to help marketing-mix providers improve how Google media data is incorporated into their services. The program seeks to address how an advertiser’s marketing spend spurs sales and how to make the most of that spend across channels, brands, and regions.

While this is a step forward in some respects, it’s also a step backward. Leaning heavily on marketing-mix modeling (MMM) isn’t exactly an advancement. Advocates of multi-touch attribution (MMA) modeling believe MMA — which seeks to employ real-time, data-informed strategies in the process of media measurement — has more integrity for digital media measurement.

In a blog post, Google said its MMMP program is designed to ensure that advertisers can accurately measure the ROI of their digital investments and understand the digital factors that contribute to ROI.

According to Google, the program offers access to granular campaign data across all relevant Google video, display, and search media in a standardized format. Google said it is making the data easier to access by providing data from multiple properties, like search and YouTube, in one centralized location. It is also offering partners access to dedicated training, resources, and specialists to better understand its advertising products and practices, and incorporate digital data into their model methodologies.

To support partners, Google said it has put account and technical teams into place to help advise on strategies designed to understand the drivers of ROI and improve returns over time.

Initial participants in the program include Marketing Management Analytics, Neustar MarketShare, and Nielsen. Google said customers can talk with their Google reps about working with a partner to use Google data in their marketing-mix model efforts. “Today’s measurement solutions need to be connected, always on and incorporate the myriad of channels, as well as critical econometric externalities in order for marketers to truly get an accurate view of marketing’s impact,” stated Julie Fleischer, vice president, product marketing, marketing solutions, Neustar.

MediaPost.com: Search Marketing Daily

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