Frequently Asked Questions: Marketing Mix Manager® by Polaris Research
Welcome to the FAQ page for Marketing Mix Manager®, powered by Polaris Research, Inc. We specialize in omnichannel attribution and optimization, helping large advertisers quantify, optimize, and forecast marketing performance to maximize ROI. This page combines insights from our platform and services to address common questions. For further inquiries, contact us or email info@polarisresearch.com.
1. What is Polaris Research, Inc.?
Polaris Research, Inc. is a leading analytics firm specializing in omnichannel attribution modeling and optimization. We empower businesses to make data-driven decisions by quantifying the ROI of marketing efforts across all media channels, optimizing budgets, and maximizing sales, revenue, and market share.
2. What is Marketing Mix Manager®?
Marketing Mix Manager® is a secure, subscription-based online portal that delivers real-time marketing performance reports, forecasts, and optimization tools. It leverages AI-infused econometrics to analyze media spend, pricing, promotions, creative elements, customer experience, and external macroeconomic factors, providing actionable insights to drive growth across channels and markets.
3. What is Omnichannel Attribution & Optimization?
Our Omnichannel Attribution & Optimization service links all media channels (e.g., TV, radio, digital, social, mobile), marketing levers (e.g., pricing, promotions), and market influences (e.g., consumer confidence, seasonality) to key outcomes like sales, revenue, and brand loyalty. By combining marketing mix modeling (MMM) and multimedia attribution (MMA), we provide insights to optimize marketing budgets and improve ROI by up to 35%.
4. How does Polaris Research quantify marketing ROI?
We use advanced statistical models, including Box-Jenkins transfer function models and pooled time-series models, to link marketing inputs (e.g., media spend, promotions) to outcomes like sales and revenue. These models calculate media-specific elasticities, quantify cross-media synergies, and determine ROI and cost-per-sale (CPS) for each channel and tactic, accounting for factors like seasonality and competition.
5. What is the Marketing Effectiveness Statistic® (MES®)?
The MES® is a proprietary metric that quantifies the effectiveness of each media channel or tactic. A score of 100% represents the Economic Optimum, where marginal returns are maximized. Scores below 10% indicate underfunding (Critical Mass Threshold), while scores above 300% suggest diminishing returns. The MES® enables benchmarking and optimization across products and industries.
6. Who is the target audience for Marketing Mix Manager®?
Marketing Mix Manager® is designed for large advertisers across various industries, including Communications, Travel, Automotive, Restaurants, Technology, Insurance, Financial Services, Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, and Education. It’s ideal for marketing teams, executives, and analysts seeking granular insights into customer behavior, product performance, and channel effectiveness at scales ranging from national campaigns to individual store locations.
7. What key features does Marketing Mix Manager® offer?
Flexible Reporting: Real-time performance reports and forecasts on daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or custom cadences.
Powerful Planning Tools: Optimization algorithms, calendar integration, and granular analysis across 210 Nielsen US DMAs or individual store levels.
Actionable Insights: Track progress, year-to-date trends, and year-end outlooks against sales goals with customizable dashboards.
Advanced Modeling: Uses Box-Jenkins Transfer Function time-series methods and structural equation modeling to capture marketing effects over time (e.g., buildup and decay).
Scalability: Adaptable to any industry with holistic views across customers, products, channels, and markets.
8. What types of data are required for your services?
We require macro-level data (e.g., weekly media spend, impressions, sales, and KPIs like revenue or brand loyalty) for at least 52 weeks, with 104+ weeks preferred for accuracy. For micro-level (campaign) analysis, we need daily impressions and sales/conversion rates for at least 365 days to capture seasonality. We also incorporate external factors like economic indicators (e.g., consumer confidence, inflation) provided by Polaris Research.
9. How does Polaris Research handle media synergy and buildup?
We measure media synergy by analyzing interactions between channels (e.g., how TV spend boosts digital effectiveness) and quantify buildup through lag structures, showing how long it takes for a medium to reach full market impact (e.g., nine weeks for Linear TV). These insights inform efficient media flighting and budget allocation to maximize ROI.
10. Can your platform forecast sales and revenue?
Yes, our platform uses historical data and planned media activities to generate forecasts with high accuracy (less than ±2% mean absolute percent error for 6-month validations and <1% total error for 26- to 52-week forecasts). For example, our year-end revenue forecasts have been within 0.07% of actual results, and 13-week forecasts are accurate to within 1%.
11. How does Polaris Research account for macroeconomic factors?
We maintain a library of over 40 US macroeconomic indicators (e.g., consumer confidence, weekly wages, inflation) and test their impact on your business. Our models estimate lag times (1 to 26+ weeks) for these factors, enabling proactive strategies to counter negative pressures or leverage positive trends, such as mitigating up to one-third of sales losses during economic downturns.
12. How does the platform handle pricing, promotions, and external factors?
The platform models elasticity for pricing and promotions, alongside creative elements and customer experience metrics. It incorporates macroeconomic leading indicators and external events (e.g., competitor actions, economic shifts) to provide a complete picture, ensuring recommendations adapt to real-world variables.
13. What results have clients achieved with Marketing Mix Manager®?
Clients have achieved significant outcomes, including:
One client reduced media spend by 21%, increased revenue by 10%, lowered cost-per-sale by 16%, boosted media ROI by 41%, and grew earnings per share by 32% over 7 years, even during the pandemic.
Another reported a 15% sales improvement in the first quarter, with forecasts accurate to less than 1% error a year out.
A hospitality client noted “huge impact” on performance due to our team’s business acumen.
14. How does Polaris Research ensure model accuracy?
We validate models by reserving at least one-quarter of sales/revenue data for out-of-sample forecasting. Our cascade modeling architecture (Portfolio → DMAs → Stores) uses machine learning to ensure accuracy and consistency across geographic levels, delivering balanced results for reporting and optimization.
15. What makes Polaris Research and Marketing Mix Manager® unique?
Integrated System: One set of equations drives media effectiveness, ROI, optimization, and forecasting for consistency.
Machine Learning: Automated modeling for 210 Nielsen DMAs reduces costs and increases quality.
Flexibility: Customizable views by geography, brand, product, or channel.
Media Neutrality: Over 28 years of media experience ensure unbiased, data-driven insights.
Direct Access: Clients work directly with our system architect, Dr. Roy W. Ralston, for tailored solutions.
Real-Time Adaptability: Adjusts to market changes for timely, relevant insights.
Proven Expertise: Over two decades refining AI-infused econometrics for major advertisers.
Ethical Focus: As a research institute, we prioritize comprehensive, unbiased analysis.
16. How can I get started with Polaris Research?
Visit our contact page to schedule a demo. Our team, led by experts with over 20 years of experience, will assess your data and goals to customize a subscription. Initial insights are typically delivered within weeks, with a secure, user-friendly portal tailored to your needs.
17. Where can I learn more or get support?
Explore industry solutions and case studies for tailored examples.
Review how we do it for our methodology.
See our client list for trusted partners.
For immediate assistance, contact us or email info@polarisresearch.com.
If you have additional questions, we’re here to help optimize your marketing strategy today!