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Experts in marketing & advertising and their latest posts.
Builds privacy-first attribution platforms to help marketers prove their impact
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Jerry argues that media claims tying Google's slower growth to chatbot adoption are not backed by the numbers, especially since paid search clicks rose. He urges marketers to review Search Console, AI referrals, and conversion data by source before changing budgets.
By Jerry West
Jeff argues that Google search escaped scrutiny because its dashboards looked good. Last-click credit and incremental impact answer different questions, and brand search shows the gap. Buyers should test what changes without the spend, and search must prove it earns its budget.
Jeff welcomes Reddit's new incrementality tools but says the seller shouldn't be the only one grading its own test. He recommends checking any platform's lift report with an independent vendor, using the advertiser's own analytics data.
Jeff doubts that IAB Tech Lab's Trusted Server Framework answers Apple's Safari restrictions, since it still builds a trail on one person. He says the web has moved away from user-level tracking for years, and advises measuring what spend changed in aggregate.
Jeff says Apple's latest crackdown on fingerprinting and identity-stitching continues a decade-long push away from user-level tracking. He argues that advertisers still relying on stitched user paths are exposed and should move to aggregated, incremental measurement.
Jeff argues that moving identity infrastructure server-side is just the latest circumvention of browser and walled-garden limits on user-level tracking. Teams that already moved to aggregate measurement are unaffected, while those rebuilding the old model gain only false confidence.
Jeff argues that server-side frameworks only move the collection point and don't change what marketers are permitted to see. With walled gardens blocking access and most of the journey already untrackable, he says measurement should shift to outcomes and aggregated data.
Jeff argues that Apple's latest announcement finishes off user-level tracking, following years of cookie deprecation and iOS changes. With most of the user journey now untraceable, he says marketers should stop chasing individuals and adopt aggregated data.
Jeff argues that marketers stuck on traditional metrics and established channels are missing YouTube's shift toward original creators. Brands that work with new creators on Shorts-specific content see stronger engagement, and originality now separates winners from the rest.
Jeff argues that marketers dependent on Google traffic are losing leads while TikTok creators gain engagement. After seeing a 40% drop in Google traffic, he says few marketers grasp how urgent platform diversification is, citing TikTok's Disney+ collaboration as evidence.
Jeff argues that the assumption that traditional media still works for Gen Alpha is wrong. He says retail brands shifting to creator-led content, which he likens to modern product placement, see stronger engagement and loyalty through direct creator-to-consumer connection.
Jeff argues that using location data for targeting exposes marketers to privacy and national security risks, citing reports of U.S. troops being targeted. He says the belief that more data improves targeting is false, and context balances personalization with privacy better.
Jeff compares digital attribution to a puzzle whose pieces keep changing shape, reflecting an industry in constant flux. His answer is to prioritize outcomes over clicks, so that metrics show real impact instead of mere activity.
Jeff argues that last-click attribution no longer fits an AI-first world and steers teams toward the wrong work. He says he has watched campaigns fail by chasing the wrong metrics, and urges optimizing to outcomes instead of clicks.
Jeff argues that last-click attribution is outdated now that algorithms learn and predict. He says multi-touch attribution shows the whole customer journey, and that marketers who don't adapt risk running obsolete campaigns.
Jeff argues that marketers should stop chasing new platforms and instead master privacy-first data strategies. He says data is a privilege, that companies fail by ignoring this, and that adapting to tighter access matters more than strength.
Jeff argues that AI failures in marketing usually trace back to human oversight rather than faulty algorithms. Flawless code can't fix bad data, so decision-makers must own their choices, accept AI's limits, and turn insights into action.
Jeff warns that Google's AI Max could quickly sideline legacy attribution tools and put unadapted strategies at risk. He draws on a past case of strong data going unused for lack of narrative, and urges marketers to innovate with intuition.
Jeff argues that privacy-first measurement is necessary because data access is not guaranteed. He warns against treating data as an endless resource and says restricted access pushes teams toward human intuition, which even strong data depends on.
Jeff argues that AI marketing insights stall because they lack human context, not because the technology is weak. Numbers alone don't persuade, so teams need empathy and narrative to turn data into action and avoid strategic misfires.