If you adopt Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM), you can optimize inbound strategies and drive long-term growth.
The marketing landscape in 2025 is evolving rapidly, with AI, sustainability, and inclusion taking center stage. Yet, one persistent challenge remains: the overreliance on last-click attribution models like CPNO (Cost Per New Order). Suntory Health’s recent collaboration with Mutinex reveals a critical insight: relying solely on short-term metrics such as Cost Per New Order (CPNO) obscures the true impact of Inbound and brand-building activities. Their shift to Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) uncovered synergies between YouTube and search ads that drove long-term sales growth—a revelation impossible under traditional frameworks.
I. Omnichannel Measurement as the Solution
Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) surfaces as a powerful substitute for last-click attribution. Unlike attribution models that track individual touchpoints, MMM analyzes the holistic impact of all marketing efforts—including Inbound strategies—on sales, factoring in variables like ad stock decay, seasonality, and external market forces. Suntory Health’s collaboration with Mutinex revealed that YouTube ads, when measured via MMM, contributed to long-term sales uplift—a finding invisible to CPNO metrics. MMM’s strength lies in its ability to quantify both immediate and lagged effects. For example, a TV campaign might drive negligible direct conversions but could significantly boost search volume and organic sales weeks later. By integrating offline and online data, MMM provides a panoramic view of marketing ROI, enabling brands to allocate budgets based on true incremental impact rather than simplistic last-click metrics.
II. Case Study: Suntory Health’s MMM Implementation
Suntory Health’s shift from CPNO to MMM underscores the transformative power of omnichannel measurement. Mutinex’s model uncovered that YouTube and search ads synergistically drove 30% higher long-term sales than previously estimated. The key insight was the "halo effect": YouTube ads amplified brand searches, which then converted efficiently via search campaigns—a dynamic often overlooked in traditional Inbound marketing analyses. This interplay was invisible under last-click attribution, which treated each channel in isolation. Additionally, MMM revealed that reinvesting in brand campaigns stabilized baseline sales, reducing reliance on short-term promotions. Suntory shifted 20% of its performance budget towards brand - building activities and managed to reduce the cost - per - acquisition (CPA) by 15% within a six - month period. This case demonstrates how MMM bridges the gap between brand and performance, proving that "wasted spend" on brand awareness is often a misdiagnosis of measurement limitations.
III. Strategic Insights from Omnichannel Measurement
MMM-derived insights challenge conventional marketing wisdom. For Suntory, the data revealed that diminishing returns set in after a certain spend threshold on performance ads—a signal to rebalance budgets toward underfunded channels like YouTube. Another revelation was the "time-delay benefit": 40% of YouTube-driven conversions occurred weeks after ad exposure, justifying longer campaign cycles—an insight critical for optimizing Inbound and outbound strategies alike. Brands like Volvo Cars mirrored this approach, using MMM to identify broad match keywords that expanded their search reach by 47%. These findings underscore a paradigm shift: optimizing for immediate conversions can truncate growth, while omnichannel measurement unlocks compounding returns. The lesson is clear—brands must measure beyond the last click to capture the full value of their marketing ecosystem.
IV. Implementing Omnichannel Measurement in Marketing Strategy
Adopting MMM requires structural changes. First, brands must integrate disparate data sources (e.g., CRM, web analytics, and offline sales) into a unified model. Suntory’s success hinged on Mutinex’s ability to harmonize these datasets while accounting for external factors like competitor activity—a process equally vital for Inbound-driven industries. Second, teams need to embrace iterative testing. Suntory ran quarterly MMM analyses to adjust media mixes, discovering that shifting 15% of search spend to YouTube boosted overall ROI by 12%. In the end, companies need to ensure that their key performance indicators (KPIs) are in line with their long - term objectives. For example, Cainz Corporation used in-store behavior data from Oriient IndoorGPS to optimize layouts, increasing peak-hour sales by 6%. These steps demand cross-functional collaboration but yield a competitive edge: marketing that’s both agile and evidence-based.
V. The Future of Marketing Measurement
The rise of tools like Google Meridian signals a broader industry shift toward AI-powered MMM. Meridian’s open-source framework enables brands to model causal relationships between spend and outcomes, democratizing advanced analytics—including for Inbound-focused teams. Meanwhile, AI is revolutionizing search advertising—Intuit’s QuickBooks used AI-driven broad match to achieve a 45% surge in customer acquisitions. These innovations highlight a converging trend: the future belongs to marketers who blend AI’s predictive power with MMM’s holistic lens. As privacy regulations erode third-party data, first-party data and probabilistic modeling will become cornerstones of measurement, making MMM not just advantageous but essential.
Topkee’s TTO CDP (Customer Data Platform) provides full-funnel measurement capabilities, capturing cross-channel attribution data to align ad spend with long-term business objectives. Parallel innovations, such as Topkee’s YIS platform, streamline social content creation and distribution while integrating performance analytics, enabling brands to maintain cohesive messaging and measure impact across fragmented touchpoints—whether Inbound or outbound.
VI. Supporting Evidence from Other Industries
Retailers like Cainz illustrate how omnichannel measurement transcends verticals. By tracking consented in-store navigation data, Cainz identified high-traffic zones to reposition products, lifting average basket values by 223%. Similarly, B2B brands are leveraging MMM to attribute lead generation across webinars and email nurture sequences—key Inbound tactics. The common thread? Siloed measurement obscures the true drivers of growth. Whether in e-commerce, healthcare, or finance, the brands thriving today are those that measure marketing as a symphony, not a solo.
The implications extend beyond these cases. For brands seeking similar precision, tools like Topkee’s TTO offer full-funnel measurement capabilities, capturing cross-channel attribution data to align ad spend with business goals. Meanwhile, platforms such as YIS streamline social content creation and distribution, enabling brands to maintain cohesive messaging across touchpoints. As Google’s Meridian advances, treating measurement as a strategic imperative becomes non-negotiable. Brands leveraging these tools will uncover hidden efficiencies; those clinging to siloed metrics risk obsolescence in an era where AI and fragmented customer journeys demand holistic insights—especially for Inbound strategies.
VII. Actionable Recommendations for Marketers
In order to make the most of omnichannel measurement, begin with an audit of your existing attribution model. If it’s last-click, pilot an MMM tool like Mutinex or Meridian on a subset of campaigns. Next, redefine success metrics—incorporate brand lift studies and customer lifetime value (CLV) alongside CPA, ensuring Inbound efforts are evaluated holistically. Finally, foster a culture of experimentation. As Tesco demonstrated during Ramadan, imperfect action beats paralysis. Allocate 10–15% of budgets to test new channels, using MMM to gauge incremental impact. Remember: the goal isn’t perfection, but progress toward a more complete understanding of how marketing fuels growth.
Conclusion
The era of last-click attribution is ending. Brands like Suntory Health, Cainz, and Intuit prove that omnichannel measurement isn’t just insightful—it’s profitable. By adopting MMM and AI-driven tools, marketers can finally quantify the full customer journey, balancing short-term conversions with long-term brand building—including Inbound initiatives. The path forward is clear: measure more, assume less, and let data guide your strategy.
