John Moran, a marketing guru at Tier 11 alongside Ralph Burns, dives into the nuances of advertising across platforms like Meta and Amazon. They dissect a real case study revealing how businesses often misinterpret attribution metrics. Discover why focusing on contribution over attribution can unlock hidden profits. They also discuss the importance of harnessing tools like CAPI Import to streamline data and reduce wasted ad spend. Whether you're in e-commerce or services, their insights on optimizing your media strategy will reshape how you approach marketing.
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insights INSIGHT
Ad Spend Doesn't Drive All Sales
Ad spend in a brand with strong distribution often does not directly drive existing sales.
This disconnect causes traditional ROAS metrics to be misleadingly optimistic about ad efficiency.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Use Incremental NCAC Metric
Focus on incremental NCAC to measure real ad spend efficiency in growing customers.
Target an incremental NCAC around $15 to $20 to maintain profitability when scaling.
insights INSIGHT
Contribution Beats Attribution Insight
Attribution measures who claims credit for the sale, but contribution evaluates true impact on sales.
Many brand or organic sales contribute without attribution in paid platforms, misleading marketers about channel effectiveness.
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If you're spending across Meta, Google, Amazon, and Shopify—but still unclear which channel is actually closing the sale—this episode is your roadmap to marketing clarity. Ralph Burns and John Moran break down a real Tier 11 case study that exposes how most businesses are flying blind when it comes to attribution. You’ll discover why traditional ROAS can lead you astray, how NAC and MER reveal true performance, and why “contribution” trumps “attribution” when it comes to scaling profitably. They also dive into how tools like CAPI Import and the Tier 11 Data Suite connect the dots across paid and organic touchpoints, helping brands unlock hidden revenue and cut wasted spend. Whether you're a Shopify powerhouse or a service-based business, this episode will change how you view your media mix—and give you the frameworks to invest with confidence.
Chapters:
00:00:00 – Kicking Things Off: What’s REALLY Fueling Your Sales?
00:01:01 – The Traffic You Ignore Might Be Closing Your Deals
00:01:33 – Inside a $100M Ad Account: What the Data Really Says
00:02:22 – The Dirty Truth About Marketing “Solutions”
00:02:58 – Ralph Gets Real About Creative That Converts
00:05:54 – Clean Data or Dead Spend: Your Choice
00:07:08 – Why Most Marketers Misread Growth Signals
00:15:43 – Amazon Showdown: Vendor vs. Seller Central Exposed
00:26:07 – How to Spot Wasted Ad Spend with One Metric
00:33:02 – Stop Confusing Attribution with Contribution (It’s Costing You)
00:35:18 – The Metric That Changes Everything About Ad Spend
00:36:01 – Why You're Probably Overspending on Brand Terms
00:36:56 – Performance Gaps Hiding in Plain Sight
00:37:43 – Case Study Reveal: What Changed After the Hire
00:38:45 – Amazon’s Hidden Influence on Your Shopify Store
00:39:16 – The Strategic Way to Manage Campaign Chaos
00:43:58 – When Google’s Automation Fights Your Results
00:46:46 – The “Feeder Strategy” You Should Be Using for Holidays
00:48:32 – Behind Closed Doors: Real Consulting Conversations
00:53:44 – Final Word: What to Do With All This Insight
Connect with Lauren on Instagram and Connect with Ralph on LinkedIn
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