Northbeam

Google Meridian and Meta Robyn Reshape Ad Measurement

Google and Meta have promoted open-source marketing-mix-modeling (MMM) tools — Meridian (Google) and Robyn (Meta) — that are changing how advertisers measure channel performance. Google released Meridian in 2024 and is actively pushing adoption (including integrations with Google Analytics and sales KPIs tied to adoption), while multiple sources say Meta is pulling back on Robyn. The open-source code gives the appearance of transparency, but platform-specific data access and sales incentives risk embedding platform self-interest into ostensibly independent MMM results. Amazon’s 2023 MMM is closed-source and explicitly promotes Amazon signals. Numerous agencies and vendors have built proprietary offerings on Meridian or Robyn code, raising concerns about disclosure and independence in measurement.

Open-source MMM made cheaper, not easier

Open-source marketing-mix-modeling (MMM) libraries have dramatically lowered the financial barrier to entry, but they have not reduced the statistical and domain expertise required to produce trustworthy results. The article highlights three production-grade open-source tools — Robyn (Meta), Meridian (Google), and PyMC-Marketing (PyMC Labs) — and describes a growing SaaS vendor layer built on those tools. Practical adoption blockers include data access and quality (e.g., two to three years of weekly, channel-level data and offline channel integration), the need for significant human judgment to configure and validate models, and the importance of organizational context. The piece warns that AI can help with scripting but not with the domain-specific decisions and validation required for actionable MMM.

Northbeam Adds Incrementality Testing to Attribution Suite

Northbeam announced a new incrementality testing feature to complement multitouch attribution (MTA) and marketing mix modeling (MMM), aiming to complete a three-part attribution approach. VP of Product Stas Goldobin said incrementality acts as a calibration layer between MTA and MMM and that Northbeam worked actively in early 2026 to "complete the trifecta of digital attribution." The product currently supports testbeds on Meta and Google (which Northbeam treats as six properties: Google Search, Google Shopping, Performance Max, Demand Gen, YouTube and Google Ads). Northbeam plans to expand platform coverage and intends to cover roughly 80% of an average client's budget with incrementality tests within a few months. Goldobin noted platform AI retraining cycles complicate tactical experimentation.