marketing mix modeling

Definition

A statistical analysis technique that quantifies the impact of various marketing activities on sales, using historical data to determine what actually works. It's the marketing equivalent of finally checking the receipts after years of trusting your gut.

Example Usage

Our MMM analysis revealed that TV advertising drove 40% of conversions despite receiving only 20% of budget, so we're reallocating accordingly.

Origin

Econometric methodology from the 1960s, adapted for marketing in the 1970s-80s

Fun Fact

Marketing mix models can take months to build and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, which is why most companies just keep doing what they've always done and hoping for the best.

Source: Marketing science and econometric analysis

Related Terms

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incrementality

The measure of whether your marketing actually caused additional sales or just took credit for purchases that would've happened anyway. It's the uncomfortable question that keeps attribution models honest and marketers defensive.

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viewthrough conversion

A conversion credited to an ad that someone saw but didn't click, measured by whether they later converted through another channel. It's how display advertising takes credit for sales it might not deserve.

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Vanity Metrics

Numbers that look impressive in reports but mean absolutely nothing, like counting how many people walked past your store without ever coming in and calling it brand exposure. They exist primarily to make quarterly presentations look good while avoiding any meaningful conversation about revenue.

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emotional triggers

Psychological hot buttons marketers press to provoke specific emotional responses that drive action—fear, joy, anger, or FOMO. The puppet strings of persuasion, ethically questionable but demonstrably effective.

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funnel

The marketing visualization showing how thousands of potential customers magically transform into a handful of actual buyers, shaped like an inverted cone of broken dreams. Each stage represents another opportunity for prospects to ghost your business entirely. Sales teams love drawing these; conversion rates love destroying the optimism they represent.

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wthyi

what the hell you idiot...