Proving Marketing’s Value: How Google Measures Marketing Impact

Proving Marketing’s Value: How Google Measures Marketing Impact

MRMW EU interview with Michał Protasiuk, Senior Research and Insights Manager, Market Insights, EMEA, Google

MRMW: What motivates you to join the MRMW EU conference and what is the core message of your talk?

Michał: For marketers, the last few years have been particularly tough. In today’s volatile economic and geopolitical landscape, marketing budgets are often the first expense to be cut. Why? Marketers often struggle to bridge the gap between their work and the C-suite’s priorities. While executives focus on revenue and profitability, marketers tend to emphasize brand metrics like awareness and equity, creating a communication disconnect.

But what if we could change that? The key is to move beyond measuring short-term advertising gains and embrace a more holistic view of marketing measurement. Marketing’s impact extends far beyond immediate sales spikes. It drives baseline sales, fosters long-term growth, and can even influence how consumers perceive price, ultimately reducing price elasticity and opening the door for greater revenue.

This is the central message I’m bringing to the MRMW EU conference. Marketing shouldn’t be viewed as an expense, but as a strategic investment. I’m excited to share a new perspective on how to measure marketing’s comprehensive impact and provide marketers with the tools, insights, and data they need to demonstrate their true value.

MRMW: How has this impacted your own work and your organisation?

Michał: Our recently published report, “The Effectiveness Equation,” outlines key findings on ad effectiveness and marketing measurement. We have been shared with hundreds of leading European advertisers. While it takes time for companies to fully pivot their marketing strategies, we are observing promising shifts in approach.

Thanks to our research, advertisers are now adjusting how they measure advertising effectiveness and define their strategic goals. A notable example is a large advertiser who is now questioning their long-standing strategy of aggressive price promotions. They are launching a pilot to test the effect of moving price promotion funds to media investment. This new approach aims to build brand equity and improve price elasticity, rather than eroding these key assets with deep discounting.

MRMW: How has market research and insight as a practice evolved in the last couple of years, and how would you like to see it evolve in the next few? 

Michał: My expertise lies in ad effectiveness measurement, a field that has undergone a significant transformation in recent years. We are witnessing a major shift from deterministic measurement—which is event- and user-based and often limited to online channels—to probabilistic measurement. This new, more holistic approach relies on aggregated, cross-channel data, primarily using econometric models like Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM).

While MMMs have been around since the 1960s, recent developments are particularly exciting. Companies, including Google, have released their own open-source models, democratizing access to media effectiveness modeling. Innovations are also improving the accuracy of these models. For instance, we can now incorporate reach and frequency data (rather than just ad impressions), use Google Search data, calibrate MMMs with incrementality tests, and factor in the quality of creative assets. We can even model the long-term impact of advertising on brand equity and price elasticity. The logical next step is to leverage AI to analyze and interpret the data from these models.

MRMW: Given this evolution, what are two expected and two less obvious skills market researchers should possess, and why?

Michał: Expected Skills:

• AI Expertise: I see a huge opportunity for AI to revolutionize the entire market research process. It can help us with everything from formulating hypotheses and designing questionnaires to analyzing data and writing final reports. It’s up to us to be creative and figure out how to best unleash its potential.
• Data Science Proficiency: We’ve seen a massive shift in how we think about data. It’s no longer just what’s in a spreadsheet; it’s everywhere, and a lot of it is unstructured. We need to embrace advanced data analysis skills to move beyond simple surveys and create a truly holistic view of our consumers.

Less Obvious Skills

• Business Acumen and Financial Literacy: Our job is to deliver recommendations that are useful to the business. To do that, we have to be able to convince financial decision-makers—the people who control our budgets. They speak a different language, and we need to understand it to ensure our projects have a real and tangible impact.
• Data Storytelling: At the end of the day, we’re all human, and humans respond to good stories. Packaging our research insights into a compelling narrative is one of the most powerful ways we can have a greater impact and drive change.
• Apart from work, what can delegates at the event talk to you about? Do you have any particular personal interests, hobbies or extracurricular activities and engagements?

I’m a bit of a nerd, particularly when it comes to “hard” science fiction. I’m fascinated by writers who take the scientific principles of their stories very seriously. If you’re unfamiliar with this genre, please don’t hesitate to find me at the event. I’m always eager to recommend novels by writers like Neal Stephenson, Greg Egan, or Ted Chiang, or we could discuss mind-bending topics like the digitalization of consciousness or alternative paths of biological evolution.

My other main interest is forecasting, a field that connects closely with science fiction. I have experience with scenario planning, foresight methods, and using the wisdom of crowds and prediction markets to predict the outcomes of future events, and I am happy to share my knowledge.

MRMW: Last but not least, we are publishing “reading/listening guides” on our blog, can you share your favourite recommendations for inspiration, learning and leadership:

Michał:

• In your ears – Podcast:

Happy Market Research podcast

Lex Friedman podcast on science, tech, and philosophy

• Must read – Book/Blog:

The best blog about ad effectiveness: Quantified Nation

What matters in tech: Benedict Evans blog 

MRMW: Thank you so much, Michał! We look forward to hearing more from you at MRMW EU!

📍MRMW Europe Returns This Autumn!

Excited to hear Michał Protasiuk share how Google drives marketing value and shapes the future of consumer insights?🎤 You’re not alone. At MRMW EU 2025 (Nov 6–7, Berlin), you’ll hear from insights leaders at Scandinavian Tobacco Group, Salomon, Samsung, eBay, EDP and more—sharing real-world case studies, fresh research trends, and the strategies shaping tomorrow’s CX and market insights.

Join us for live discussions, cutting-edge case studies, round tables and interactive networking sessions. The unique MRMW concept provides the perfect balance between personal development, networking and doing business.

Reserve your seat now to connect with industry leaders and shape the future of insights!