Marketing has a data problem—but not the one you think.

We’ve been told for years that with enough attribution, we’ll finally be able to prove marketing’s value. That if we plug in all the right models, link every touchpoint, and track every channel, the truth will emerge. ROI will be crystal clear. Budgets will rise. Sales and marketing will finally align.

But for most teams, the opposite has happened.

Attribution hasn’t simplified marketing—it’s buried it in complexity. Instead of clearer answers, we’ve been left with dashboards full of disconnected metrics, reporting cycles that take days, and leadership meetings where the same questions keep getting asked: What worked? What should we do next? What should we stop doing?

It’s time to admit something: Attribution has failed to deliver on its promises. But that doesn’t mean we’re stuck.

The answer isn’t a new tool. It’s a new mindset.

The concept of attribution made sense when buyer journeys were simpler. A single touchpoint might lead to a conversion. A campaign’s success could be measured by clickthroughs and form fills. But today, attribution models are being applied to journeys that are non-linear, cross-channel, multi-device, and emotionally complex.

Marketing teams now sit on massive amounts of data from MAPs, CRMs, BI tools, web analytics, ad platforms, and content engines. The problem isn’t that we don’t have enough data—it’s that we can’t find the signal in the noise.

So here’s the shift: stop treating attribution as the final report card. Start treating it as a launching point for better decisions.

1. Every channel gets credit—but no one makes a decision.
Multi-touch attribution models often lead to every channel appearing successful. That feels good in a dashboard but bad in a budget meeting. If the data doesn’t drive a decision, what’s the point?

2. Your reporting cycles take longer than your campaigns.
If it takes your team 3 days to compile the data to answer basic performance questions, your attribution model is getting in the way.

3. Sales and finance don’t believe your numbers.
You’ve presented MQLs, influenced revenue, engagement scores—but your executive peers still don’t buy in. That’s not just a trust issue—it’s a clarity issue.

4. You’re reporting what your tools let you—not what your strategy needs.
Are you using a U-shaped model because that’s what your MAP defaults to? That’s a tech limitation, not a strategic choice.

5. Leadership keeps asking the same questions.
What’s driving growth? Where should we invest more? What should we cut? If your attribution reports aren’t answering these questions, it’s time for a change.

Post-attribution analytics is about what happens after the models are built. It’s how teams use the data they already have to:

• Understand performance by lifecycle stage
• Influence pipeline, not just traffic
• Align sales, marketing, and RevOps on what’s working
• Shift from reactive reporting to proactive decision-making

It’s not about proving what marketing did—it’s about guiding what marketing should do next.

Here are the types of metrics and frameworks we recommend:

1. Funnel-stage reportingCan you show performance broken down by TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU—not just channel or campaign? It’s the clearest way to connect marketing motion to buyer progression.

2. Campaign-to-stage conversion ratesInstead of focusing on form fills or CTRs, look at how each campaign contributes to moving leads from one funnel stage to the next.

3. Channel-level cost per opportunityPipeline > clicks. This metric shows where your money is actually turning into potential revenue.

4. Sales velocity by campaign or lead sourceIf one source is closing faster, that’s a signal. If another has long lag times, it might need nurture or qualification refinement.

5. Metrics mapped to decisionsEvery metric in your dashboard should answer one question: what will we do differently if this changes?

We’re about to release The Post-Attribution Growth Playbook—a no-fluff, fully actionable guide to:

• Diagnosing your attribution blind spots
• Building decision-ready reports
• Getting leadership buy-in with metrics that matter
• Turning marketing into a growth-driving, boardroom-worthy function

It includes:

• A checklist of what should (and shouldn’t) be in your dashboards
• A data-to-decision map your team can use in every monthly review
• An interactive worksheet: “What Decision Does This Metric Support?”

Whether you’re in a MAP like Marketo or building custom dashboards in Looker, this playbook gives you a practical framework to move forward.

📩 Want early access before we release it publicly? Click here to get on the list.