Data Featured

Google opens Meridian marketing mix model

Google's open-source marketing measurement tool Meridian becomes available worldwide, promising privacy-first analytics.

Luís Rijo

Jan 29, 2025 • 5 min read

Meridian marketing mix model

Google has made its marketing mix modeling (MMM) solution, Meridian, available to all marketers and data scientists globally, marking a significant shift in marketing measurement capabilities. The announcement, made today, comes at a time when marketers increasingly seek privacy-compliant methods to measure campaign effectiveness across channels.

According to Harikesh Nair, Senior Director of Data Science at Google, Meridian represents a substantial advancement in marketing measurement technology. The platform has undergone extensive testing with hundreds of brands globally before this public release, incorporating their feedback to refine its capabilities.

Jennifer Snell, GM Marketing & Loyalty at Finder, an Australian financial company operating in the UK, US, and Canada, describes their experience with the platform: "With Meridian, we now have much more confidence in our ability to measure the impact of our investments. This has moved us from investing time and resources into creating linear regression models from scratch, to an agile, best-in-class solution that our team can still own and manage."

Meridian employs Bayesian causal inference methodology, allowing marketers to combine prior knowledge with real-world data to determine the incremental impact of marketing efforts. The platform introduces several technical innovations that address longstanding challenges in marketing measurement.

Bayesian causal inference methodology represents a sophisticated statistical approach that combines prior knowledge with observed data to establish cause-and-effect relationships. This methodology differs from traditional statistical methods by incorporating prior beliefs or knowledge about causal relationships, then updating these beliefs as new data becomes available.

In Meridian's context, this means the model can leverage historical marketing performance data, expert knowledge, and industry benchmarks as prior information, then continuously refine its understanding as it processes new campaign data.

For example, if previous experiments showed that TV advertising typically drives a 5-10% sales lift, the model incorporates this knowledge while remaining flexible enough to adjust these estimates based on actual observed data. This approach helps reduce uncertainty in marketing measurement by building upon accumulated knowledge rather than treating each analysis as an isolated event.

The platform provides access to the MMM Data Platform, offering core MMM data including impressions, clicks, and cost for Google media. According to Google's technical documentation, the platform incorporates new value-add dimensions such as Google Query volume, enabling more accurate insights into paid search performance, particularly when search demonstrates high correlation with sales.

A significant technical advancement in Meridian is its ability to compare brand and category generic organic volumes to paid search data at the query level. According to marketing measurement experts commenting on the release, this granular data access helps reduce noise in marketing mix analysis, particularly beneficial for businesses with variable data patterns.

Traditional MMMs typically measure video through impressions alone. Meridian advances this by incorporating both reach and frequency metrics. According to the technical specifications, ten impressions could represent either ten individuals reached once or one person reached ten times – a distinction that significantly impacts business outcomes. Meridian's measurement framework accounts for these variations to optimize video investment impact.

The platform allows for the integration of incrementality experiment results as priors, regardless of channel or experiment type. According to Google's documentation, this calibration with real-world results aims to align outcomes more closely with actual business goals.

To facilitate adoption, Google has launched a partner program comprising over 20 measurement partners trained and certified on Meridian. Santosh Nair, Founder & Director at Analytics Edge, one of the certified partners, explains: "Meridian integrates technical innovations to assess the indirect impact of search on marketing channels in the consumer journey. It enhances the measurement of 'Reach' and 'Frequency' for YouTube campaigns, helping advertisers with campaign planning."

The partner program offers several key services:

Technical Implementation Support: Partners provide guidance on Meridian deployment and investment optimization.
Best Practices Access: Organizations gain access to Meridian best practices and optimization techniques.
Customization Assistance: Given Meridian's open-source nature, partners help tailor measurement approaches to specific business objectives.

Google has established a comprehensive global network of certified Meridian partners, spanning multiple regions and specialties. According to Google's partner documentation, these organizations have undergone extensive training in Meridian best practices and demonstrate proficiency in implementing the platform's measurement capabilities.

Meridian Partners

Americas (AMER) Region

European Region

Asia-Pacific (APAC) Region

In the current digital landscape where privacy concerns dominate marketing discussions, Meridian's approach to measurement stands out. The platform operates on aggregated data, enabling performance measurement without relying on individual user data. This methodology aligns with evolving privacy regulations and changing consumer expectations regarding data usage.

According to the technical documentation, organizations considering Meridian implementation should evaluate several factors:

Data Requirements

Minimum of 12-18 months of historical data
Comprehensive channel performance metrics
External factor data (economic indicators, seasonality, etc.)
Budget allocation information across channels

Technical Infrastructure

Capability to handle multi-linear regression analysis
Resources for data preprocessing and cleansing
Integration capabilities with existing analytics systems

Google has committed to ongoing investment in Meridian, with plans to add new features and improve methodology. The platform's code is available on GitHub, allowing for community contribution and transparent development.

Meridian enters a market where Meta's Robyn MMM has established a presence. According to industry analysts, while Robyn has gained traction, Meridian's integration with Google's vast data ecosystem positions it uniquely in the marketing measurement space.

The release of Meridian as an open-source solution represents a significant shift in the marketing measurement landscape. According to marketing technology experts, this move could democratize access to sophisticated marketing measurement tools, previously available primarily to large enterprises with substantial resources.

Integration Capabilities

The platform offers integration with various data sources and marketing channels:

Digital Channels:

Search advertising data
Social media metrics
Display advertising performance
Video campaign metrics

Traditional Media

Television advertising
Print media
Radio campaigns
Out-of-home advertising

External Factors

Economic indicators
Seasonality data
Competitive activity
Market conditions

This comprehensive integration capability enables organizations to develop a holistic view of their marketing effectiveness across all channels.

Application and Use Cases

Organizations can apply Meridian across various scenarios:

Budget Optimization

Channel allocation refinement
Campaign timing optimization
Investment level determination

Performance Analysis

Cross-channel impact assessment
Long-term vs. short-term effects measurement
Brand building contribution evaluation

Future Planning

Scenario modeling
Forecast development
Strategy optimization

The platform's flexibility allows organizations to adapt its capabilities to their specific needs and objectives.

The global availability of Meridian marks a significant development in marketing measurement technology. Its combination of advanced technical capabilities, privacy-centric approach, and open-source nature positions it as a potentially transformative tool in marketing analytics. As organizations increasingly seek ways to measure marketing effectiveness in a privacy-compliant manner, Meridian's release provides a timely solution to these evolving needs.