For as long as, Marketing and PR measures have existed, we’ve always depended on metrics, but what if your metrics are based on faulty data? The analytics tools we have don’t always account for 2o (online-to-offline) marketing, marketing channel effectiveness and conversions into local currencies, particularly for African currencies like the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG). Modern marketing science encourages econometrics as a more effective mechanism for quantifying marketing impact.

The Secret of the top 1%

The top marketers in the world scrutinize marketing budgets and question if those investments are truly paying off. They avoid taking haphazard approaches that won’t hold water. If you’re serious about gaining an edge, you need to pinpoint exactly what works. Today, I’m going to reveal the secret arsenal top marketers are deploying to decimate their competition. The secret is Marketing Mix Modeling or MMMs.

Marketing Mix Modeling is akin to having a detailed blueprint that delineates the impact of every dollar you invest in marketing. Whether it’s social media, email, TV ads, or even word of mouth, you’ll gain a clear understanding of what’s truly driving your results. This isn’t conjecture, it’s a strategy underpinned by hard data. Imagine the confidence of knowing precisely where your efforts are yielding dividends and where they’re falling flat.

MMMs are statistical models that quantify the impact of various marketing inputs on sales and/or market share. The “mix” refers to the different elements of a marketing strategy, including price, product, promotion, and place, collectively known as the 4Ps. MMMs use historical data to measure the effectiveness of these elements, allowing businesses to optimize their marketing strategies based on quantifiable evidence.

How do MMMs Work

MMMs work by analyzing historical data to establish relationships between marketing activities and sales outcomes. They use advanced statistical techniques to estimate the incremental impact of each marketing input on sales while controlling for non-marketing factors such as economic conditions and seasonality.

For instance, an MMM might reveal that an 8% increase in television advertising leads to a 3% increase in sales, while an 8% increase in digital advertising leads to a 5% increase in sales. This information allows businesses to allocate their marketing budget more effectively, maximizing their ROI.

The power of MMMs lies in their ability to isolate and measure the impact of individual marketing activities. They can account for external factors such as economic trends, seasonality, and competitive actions, providing a holistic view of marketing performance. Moreover, MMMs are privacy-first measurement tools, as they rely on aggregated sales and revenue data and do not require the processing of personal customer information.

Why Now?

MMM is a game-changer in 2025 because the stakes have never been higher. With shrinking budgets, escalating ad costs, and increasingly discerning customers, MMM is more crucial than ever. It empowers companies to fine-tune their campaigns in real-time, adapt to market fluctuations, and outpace competitors who are still stuck playing the guessing game. It’s your secret weapon in a saturated market.

Investors and company directors are increasingly uninterested in highfalutin tech jargon. They want real results. The increasing popularity of open-source solutions, with online searches related to “MMM” increasing by 32% in 2023 compared to 2022 shows a growing interest in how these tools work. This growing interest is coming from both decision-makers and the workforce in general.

In fact, at the beginning of March 2024, Google introduced Meridian, its new open-source MMM, which allows users to set parameters, customize the code and optimize cross-channel budgets. It is at an early-access stage, meaning it’s something corporations can explore to have a first-mover advantage. Unlike its competing predecessor, Meta’s Robyn (which is a more advanced MMM available on Github), Google says:“Think of Meridian as modelling clay: a starting point that allows users to iterate and develop further.” That’s exactly what Africa needs- a start.

A Simple Roadmap

Implementing MMMs requires a robust infrastructure and a skilled team of data scientists. This is a key prerequisite for Africa to consider. The first step is to gather historical data on marketing activities and sales outcomes, and this data should be as granular as possible, ideally at the level of individual marketing campaigns and weekly sales.Next, businesses need to build or choose a marketing mix model that suits their needs. The quick approach is to use tools available on the market to analyze which campaigns are driving the lion’s share of revenue. The popular tools include Orbit, Robyn, Ruler Analytics and Google’s Meridian.

The Way Forward

The potential of MMMs is immense, but their successful implementation in Africa’s major industries will require strategic planning, investment and education..Businesses need to be aware of the limitations of MMMs and manage their expectations accordingly. While MMMs can provide valuable insights, they are not a silver bullet. They also come with risks such as limited technical support and challenges with integration. They should be used in conjunction with other measurement tools and business insights to guide marketing strategy.With the right infrastructure, skills, and mindset, Africa can harness the power of MMMs to drive growth and profitability in 2025 and beyond.

By Innocent Mushamba, is a seasoned Marketing Consultant, lecturer and training facilitator at the Marketers Association of Zimbabwe (MAZ) and is the Director at No Walls Media. You can contact him on Innocent on  0778793029/0713014577