There might have been a point in time when gauging the success of an advertising campaign was relatively straightforward: A company placed an ad in a particular channel, and consumers responded, whether by bringing the newspaper into their local grocer to request the precise cut of meat displayed or clicking on a link to make a purchase. Such simplicity—if it ever truly existed, that is—is absolutely a thing of the past though. Determining the success of multi-pronged, integrative, expansive, expensive advertising tactics is incredibly difficult and complex. 

So of course, service providers have emerged to fill this void. They promise advertisers clearer insights into the outcomes of their marketing efforts. For example, the open-source analytics tool called Google Meridian promises Alaska Airlines that it can inform the company of the efficacy of its digital advertising, accurately and in real-time. 

Whereas conventional assessment approaches define the value and success of online ads by tracking the clickthrough rate (i.e., what proportion of total views involves consumers who also click on the ad) or sales earned through those clicks, Meridian adopts a more holistic perspective and integrates external factors to predict customers’ likely reactions. For example, if snowstorms are predicted, travelers probably react differently, and less positively, to promotions for flights to the affected regions in the next few days. 

The tool also leverages its ready access to Google’s Query Volume data, which indicate how frequently specific, relevant words or phrases have been entered into the global search engine. Such trends can and should inform assessments of advertising as well; if many people are searching for information about the effects of global climate change on Alaska’s ice fields, the airline might anticipate greater effectiveness of marketing efforts to promote a guided tour of the remaining glaciers.

Noting that its expertise is in travel rather than marketing, Alaska Airlines also hired a consultancy group called Adswerve to manage these various inputs and complex plans. During a three-month trial period, the analysts compiled massive data sets and offered more comprehensive explanations of trends and outcomes than the company believed itself able to do on its own. For example, Adswerve promptly suggested different targeting strategies, to ensure that the ideal recipients would encounter the targeted advertising. It predicts that this diversion will increase revenues by 11 percent, equivalent to about $100 million for Alaska Airlines. Then, by switching the proportion of the company’s advertising budget allocated to specific advertising channels, Adswerve argues that its client could earn a 3 percent return on investment for every marketing dollar it spent, without changing its overall budget.

Although these claims remain hypothetical, at least for now, they were convincing enough to push Alaska Airlines to begin implementing the changes. When companies receive in-depth, carefully gathered data, they gain the same sort of nostalgic clarity that might have been enjoyed by marketers of the past. They know where, how, and when to advertise, and they can predict what the outcomes will be—though today, such clarity requires the help of dedicated, expert specialists.

Discussion Questions

1. Which factors contribute to making estimates of advertising success so complicated today?
2. What are some possible downsides or risks associated with relying so strongly on external service providers to gauge advertising outcomes and plan strategies?

Sources: Chris Kelly, “How Alaska Airlines Found a $100M Revenue Opportunity With Google’s Meridian,” Marketing Dive, July 8, 2025; “Alaska Airlines and Adswerve Discover $100M Revenue Opportunity with Google’s Meridian Marketing Mix Model,” AInvest, July 9, 2025; Laurie Sullivan, “Alaska Airlines’ MMM Ticket on Google Meridian,” MediaPost, July 14, 2025.