Due to signal loss from cookie deprecation, no single model like MTA or MMM is sufficient. The new gold standard is using all available algorithms together in a machine learning framework, allowing them to influence each other for a more accurate ROI picture.

To measure the combined success of brand and ABX, track metrics in layers. Look at short-term ABX results (pipeline influence) and long-term brand signals (share of voice). The magic is connecting them: prove that accounts with high brand engagement also show better ABX response rates, demonstrating the multiplier effect.

To evaluate AI's role in building relationships, marketers must look beyond transactional KPIs. Leading indicators of success include sustained engagement, customers volunteering more information, and recommending the experience to others. These metrics quantify brand trust and empathy—proving the brand is earning belief, not just attention.

Brands with strong, consistent stories like Patagonia are excelling in AI visibility, proving brand matters more than ever. Consequently, once-soft metrics like 'share of voice' are being reframed as critical measures of 'digital brand visibility' and are now being reported to the board.

For the first time, tools tracking "AI Visibility"—how often a brand is cited in LLM responses—can directly measure the impact of brand-building activities. This allows CMOs to finally prove the ROI of brand investments, treating brand as a quantifiable performance engine rather than an abstract concept.

A one-size-fits-all approach to brand measurement is ineffective. Molson Coors finds that 'consideration' is more predictive of growth for emerging brands, while 'brand equity' is a stronger driver for established ones. This tailors KPIs to the brand's life stage.

Repositioning Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) from a purely financial ROI calculation to a measure of consumer response and brand health can secure broader organizational buy-in, especially from brand-focused teams.

Shift the mindset from a brand vs. performance dichotomy. All marketing should be measured for performance. For brand initiatives, use metrics like branded search volume per dollar spent to quantify impact and tie "fluffy" activities to tangible growth outcomes.

Google's AI-driven search increasingly values brand authority, making traditional silos that separate brand/PR (reputation) from digital/SEO (traffic) obsolete. To succeed, companies must adopt an integrated strategy where content, PR, search, and social work together to build a unified brand presence across the entire customer funnel.