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How Attribution Models Are Wasting Your Ad Budget
Description
Lucas and Luna dive into the hidden inefficiencies of performance marketing attribution. Using the real-world example of a DTC brand that spent $2 million on Facebook ads in Q1 2026, they reveal why last-click attribution overvalues bottom-funnel tactics and undervalues awareness-driving channels. Lucas explains how multi-touch attribution (MTA) and media mix modeling (MMM) can correct for this, citing a case where a beverage company shifted 30% of its budget from retargeting to podcast ads and saw a 15% lift in ROAS after six weeks. They also discuss the rise of incrementality testing and why platforms like Google and Meta may be incentivized to keep attribution fuzzy. By the end, listeners will understand why a single-digit percentage improvement in attribution accuracy can translate to hundreds of thousands in recovered ad spend—and how to start auditing their own dashboards. No jargon, no fluff—just a clear-eyed look at one of performance marketing's most expensive blind spots.