TV lacks a click, so last-click attribution models will severely undervalue its impact. A modern approach requires a holistic dashboard that triangulates performance across multiple metrics, including incremental CPA, view-through CPA, attributable Amazon purchases, and lift in retail sales.

By charging restaurants only when an order is placed (Cost-Per-Order), not for impressions or clicks, DoorDash's business model inherently depends on consumer relevance. This structure forces the platform to serve highly useful ads to succeed financially, aligning its interests with both the advertiser and the end consumer.

New measurement tools are moving beyond probabilistic models (guessing based on IP/device) to deterministic view-through attribution. By using first-party data like platform logins, marketers can now directly match an ad impression to a purchase, solving a major measurement challenge.

To show ROI beyond declining organic traffic, use a three-layer model. 1) Direct attribution from GA4 organic/AI traffic. 2) Influenced attribution via increases in branded search, direct traffic, and shorter sales cycles. 3) AI visibility, measuring share of voice in LLMs against competitors.

Traditional digital attribution is broken. Marketers should adopt measurement models from the pre-digital era, like those used by ad agencies. This involves running controlled experiments (e.g., billboards in different cities) and measuring for lift and incrementality rather than last-click attribution.

Relying solely on Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) is misleading because it includes sales that would have happened anyway. By pairing ROAS with the percentage of 'new-to-brand' customers, you get a stronger signal of whether your ads are actually acquiring new, incremental revenue.

To accurately measure TV's impact, bootstrap-minded brands should avoid letting platforms "grade their own homework." Implement independent measurement tools like post-purchase surveys, media mix models, and incrementality tests to get a true picture of performance beyond vanity metrics provided by the ad platform.

Don't trust the CAC reported by platforms like Meta, which can be off by 20% or more. Brands must build their own attribution models using incrementality testing (e.g., turning off ads in one geo) to understand the true, causal impact of each channel.

The 30-minute journey from ad-to-doorstep on platforms like DoorDash makes traditional brand vs. performance marketing silos obsolete. Archaic KPIs (e.g., cheap reach) prevent unified strategies, forcing a necessary re-evaluation of internal team structures and measurement to capitalize on the compressed consumer journey.