Observed Signal · Jul 17, 2026 · Podcast · Source: AdExchanger · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Choosing a Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) Tool
AdExchanger’s podcast episode discusses how marketers should choose a marketing mix modeling (MMM) solution, weighing the tradeoffs of using open-source, low-cost MMM tools built by Big Tech. The piece notes both Google and Meta have released MMM tooling (Google’s Meridian and Meta’s Robyn) and highlights concerns about conflicts of interest when measurement solutions are tied to companies that also sell performance advertising. The episode references James Hercher’s reporting comparing the two platforms and frames the decision as a balance between accessible measurement and potential platform influence.
Highlights Big Tech-built MMM tools and the measurement conflict when using platform-tied solutions — relevant to marketers' measurement choices but not an industry-shifting policy or technical release.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Published by AdExchanger on 2026-07-17.
- Both Google and Meta have built open-source, low-cost marketing mix modeling (MMM) tools for marketers.
- James Hercher, a senior editor, wrote a comparative story examining the MMM tools from Big Tech.
- The episode discusses the conflict of using measurement solutions from companies that also sell performance-based ads, and the tradeoff marketers face between low-cost measurement and potential platform influence.
- The content is presented as an episode of AdExchanger’s The Big Story podcast.
Connected Companies & Entities
3 Entities mapped“Both Google and Meta built open-source, low-cost MMM tools for marketers to use....”
“Both Google and Meta built open-source, low-cost MMM tools for marketers to use....”
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Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
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.
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