Attribution overhaul reveals $800K misallocated budget

The client's CFO was skeptical of marketing. Not because the results weren't there, but because no one could prove they were. Every quarterly review was a negotiation about what "counts."

Two years of raw ad platform data was pulled and every touchpoint mapped to deals in the CRM. The last-click model was crediting paid search with 68% of conversions. The data-driven model told a different story: 42% came from top-of-funnel content that received 4% of the budget.

Armed with the real picture, a reallocation was proposed. The finance team signed off — not because they trusted marketing more, but because the model was auditable.

The $800K found was reallocated to content and mid-funnel nurture. Within six months, the CFO added marketing to the company's growth committee.