The Light-hearted Side of Marketing Mix Modelling: A Tale of Growth, Coffee, and Data-Driven Wins

Marketing Mix Modelling (MMM) is often seen as the backbone of data-driven marketing—a powerful tool that helps brands understand how their media spend drives sales. But let’s be honest, the journey to mastering MMM isn’t always smooth sailing. It’s filled with learning curves, funny moments, and yes, a lot of coffee. Today, I’m sharing a light-hearted story from one of our co-founders’ early days in the world of MMM. It’s a tale of growth, collaboration, and how data can sometimes surprise even the most seasoned marketers. So, grab your coffee, and let’s dive in!

The "Aha!" Moment with Unexpected Results

Our co-founder, fresh out of university and eager to make an impact, was tasked with building a regression model for a marketing department. He crunched the numbers, ran the analysis, and—wait for it—the model showed that media spend had an unexpected effect on sales. The results weren’t what the team had anticipated, but they were statistically significant.

When he presented the findings to the head of strategy, the room fell silent. The head of strategy leaned back, thought for a moment, and said, “Well, that’s interesting. Let’s dig deeper.” Instead of dismissing the results, the team used them as a springboard for discussion. It turned into a valuable learning moment for everyone, proving that sometimes, the most unexpected insights can lead to the justification of the strategies.

The Great Data Clean-Up

After the “aha!” moment, our co-founder thought the hard part was over. Wrong. He returned to his desk to find a shared folder filled with hundreds of Excel files and PDFs—media plans, budgets, and reports from multiple campaigns. Each file was a treasure trove of data, but none of it was in a format ready for MMM.

What followed was a data clean-up marathon. For weeks, our co-founder organized, transformed, and standardized the data into something usable. It was tedious, yes, but it was also a crash course in the importance of clean data. By the end of it, he had not only mastered Excel shortcuts but also gained a deep appreciation for the hard work that goes into preparing data for analysis. And hey, he even earned a few laughs from his colleagues for his newfound obsession with perfectly aligned columns.

The Power of Collaboration

As our co-founder neared the end of his probation period, he noticed something interesting: the marketing team wasn’t just looking for data—they were looking for insights that aligned with their goals. During his performance review, his manager said, “We know you’re great with data, but we also need you to help us tell the story behind the numbers.”

This feedback was a game-changer. Instead of focusing solely on the technical side of MMM, our co-founder started collaborating more closely with the team. He asked questions like, “What results are you hoping to see?” and “How can we align the model with our strategic goals?” This shift in approach not only improved the models but also strengthened the team’s trust in data-driven decision-making.

Coffee, Lunch, and Building Bridges

Realizing the importance of collaboration, our co-founder went into full relationship-building mode. He bought coffee, organized team lunches, and even hosted informal “data chats” to explain the intricacies of MMM in a way that resonated with everyone.

These conversations revealed something important: the marketing team wasn’t just looking for numbers—they were looking for actionable insights that supported their strategies. For example, they wanted to see TV driving 6% of sales because they had increased the budget, and they expected Paid Search to drive 4% because their campaigns were consistently ranking in the top 3 on Google. By aligning the MMM results with these expectations, our co-founder was able to deliver models that not only made sense statistically but also supported the team’s goals.

From Probation to Recognition

With this new collaborative approach, our co-founder turned things around. The models he delivered were not only accurate but also actionable, helping the team make smarter decisions about their media spend. By the end of his extended probation, the marketing department wasn’t just satisfied—they were impressed. In fact, they even nominated him for a VIP award for his contributions.

What’s Your MMM Story?

MMM is a powerful tool, but it’s also a journey filled with learning, collaboration, and yes, a few funny moments along the way. Whether it’s cleaning up messy data, presenting unexpected results, or finding creative ways to align models with business goals, we’ve all been there.

So, tell us: What’s your MMM story? Have you ever had a lightbulb moment while analyzing data? Or found a creative way to align your models with your team’s goals? Share your experiences in the comments below—we’d love to hear them!