Let’s face it, performance marketing programs can get complex quickly. If you’re following publisher best practices, your campaign structure probably won’t match your reporting needs. And account growth over time only adds to the mess.
Reporting across multiple publishers and accounts can involve significant data wrestling, and aggregating data with pivot tables to summarize performance in a way that is familiar to your business takes time.
You need a reporting system that is both automated and customizable.
Dimensions give you the flexibility of spreadsheets without the manual work. They enable users to build an account around paid media best practices while also being able to present the data in a way that makes sense to management. And since the data is cleaned and unified by Marin, there’s no need to do manual cleanup in Excel. Marin automates that process, so your data is tidied up and ready for analysis by the time you log in to the platform in the morning.
Dimensions help users to:
Quickly make edits to keywords, creatives, groups, or campaigns based on given Dimension tags
Easily view and analyze data within Marin, outside of a publisher’s structure
Create reports quickly based on Dimension tags
Categorize your data however you want
Dimensions can be used as ‘categories’ to:
Compare campaigns, groups, keywords, and creatives by geography
Compare ads for different lines of business
Monitor A/B tests
Track the performance of ad copy variations
And much more… The possibilities are endless!
For example, you may have non-brand and brand terms within the same campaigns and ad groups. This user could create a Dimension called “Brand vs Non-Brand” and then, with just a few clicks, tag all of their Brand keywords as ‘Brand’ and their non-brand keywords as ‘Non-Brand’. Then they could filter or pivot on the ‘Brand vs. Non-Brand’ dimension in Marin to see aggregated data for each unique subset. Here’s what the tagging process looks like:
And we’ve built pivot tables into Marin for ease of use. Pivot up to three dimension labels against each other to analyze performance across categories. In the example below, we’ve pivoted on three dimensions - Brand / Non Brand, Campaign Type, and City:
Make quick and easy edits
Quickly edit groups of keywords, creatives, ad groups, or campaigns by filtering for their Dimension tag. Going back to our ‘Brand vs. Non-Brand’ example, a user could filter for all ‘Brand’ tagged campaigns in the Marin grid and play, pause, or edit them in bulk.
Create dimensions automatically
Marin can automatically keep your campaigns properly tagged based on rules that you provide, including information from the campaign structure, performance data, or a combination of the two. Marin’s AI can also suggest helpful groupings that might have occurred to your team.
Simplify URL tagging
Marin’s URL Builder can reference values stored in Dimensions, taking the capabilities of custom parameters to new heights. URL builder can populate specific URL parameters based on an object’s dimension tag.
Dynamic Actions
Dimensions can also be used to create custom bid modifiers with Dynamic Actions. Dynamic Actions apply a boost to keywords that have been tagged with a specific dimension value. For example, you could identify keywords that drive mostly New Customer conversions and tag those with a Dimension. Then create a Dynamic Action and apply a 20% boost to those keywords.
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YOTEL Increases ROAS 23% and Eliminates Hours of Manual Work with Marin
YOTEL's Director of Digital shared some of his favorite things about Marin with us. Check it out!
Google launched responsive search ads (RSAs) to simplify the ad creation and testing process, offering search advertisers high-performing ads with less effort. Now, advertisers can deliver search ads at scale without having to assemble multiple ad versions.
Download our guide, Getting Started with Responsive Search Ads, to learn all about this groundbreaking ad format. It answers these questions and more:
What are responsive search ads?
How do they fit into your paid search campaigns?
What are RSA best practices to boost clicks and conversions?
We know that AI is everywhere, but it’s still worth taking a moment to think about what the year ahead has in store for us. We present our thoughts on the most meaningful forces driving changes for performance marketers in 2024.
1. AI Transforms Supply
Artificial intelligence is redefining how we find and access information information, which means the surfaces for advertising will continue to evolve. AI-driven Search, like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Perplexity, and even Google Gemini, is better than a page full of links.
These AI systems are shifting user behavior, with more consumers preferring AI-powered search to deliver contextual answers. For advertisers, this means evolving ad formats integrated into conversational AI interfaces. OpenAI is “weighing” whether to offer ads. Imagine AI-guided shopping assistants recommending products based on real-time queries, with ads seamlessly embedded into these interactions. The challenge will be adapting inventory and placements to fit this new AI ecosystem.
2. AI Transforms Creative
Generative AI is revolutionizing ad creative, enabling brands to produce personalized, immersive content at scale. Instead of static messaging, brands can deploy dynamic campaigns that adapt to audience sentiment and trends in real time.
Even Coke has released an AI-generated commercial. The Ad Platforms are rushing to expand generative AI capabilities. As these tools mature, the "right message to the right audience" paradigm will feel outdated, replaced by hyper-responsive creative that shifts with cultural "vibes." This ability to quickly iterate creative will empower marketers to stay relevant and resonant.
3. AI Transforms Workflows
AI is moving beyond answering questions—it’s starting to do the work for us. We have long automated routine tasks like budget allocation and campaign creation, but this year, AI agents can get s#@t done for you with a simple prompt. This evolution is helping marketers focus on strategy and insights rather than execution.
Reactive Agents are great and will have a significant impact on daily tasks. Still, proactive AI continuously scouring your account for opportunities and inefficiency will lead to even better performance, driving efficiency and scalability like never before.
4. Shoppable Everything
The boundary between content and commerce is blurring. Social platforms, streaming services, and even podcasts are integrating shoppable ads to meet consumer demand for instant gratification. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube have already launched robust shopping integrations, but the trend is expanding.
In 2025, expect "shoppable everything" to gain traction, from QR codes on live streams to in-app shopping experiences on emerging platforms like BeReal. Have you bought something from your TV yet? Next year, you probably will. According to eMarketer, social commerce sales are projected to reach $1.2 trillion by 2025, with brands investing heavily in seamless, purchase-ready experiences.
5. Ads Everywhere
Subscription fatigue is real, and platforms are responding by increasing ad-supported models. From Netflix to Disney+, previously ad-free platforms are introducing tiered subscriptions with ads, creating new inventory for marketers.
Retail media networks are also booming, expected to command 25% of media spend by 2028, according to eMarketer. Anyone who has a captive audience is building a media network (see Western Union). This diversification offers brands more options to reach their targets, but it also requires careful strategy and tooling to manage campaigns across these expanding networks.
6. Evolving Privacy Laws
Consumer privacy continues to be a focal point, with eight new U.S. state privacy laws going into effect in 2025. These are similar to California's CCPA but add complexity for marketers, who must navigate an increasingly fragmented regulatory landscape.
Compliance will require robust systems to manage consent and protect consumer data. Additionally, marketers must focus on privacy-compliant targeting strategies, such as first-party data and contextual advertising, to stay competitive in a cookieless future.
7. The New Measurement Imperative
Accurate measurement is increasingly challenging as data collection becomes more challenging, especially if you rely on last-click attribution. Marketing mix modeling (MMM) and incrementality testing are emerging as key tools to evaluate campaign performance. Meta offers Robyn, Google has Meridian, and independent solutions address this measurement challenge.
But a better understanding of how your investment is performing and shifting dollars to the highest-performing opportunity can significantly improve your performance…what would you do with a 5x increase in conversions?
8. Google DOJ Ruling: Uncertainty, but No Immediate Action
The U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust case against Google creates uncertainty in the ad tech space. The DoJ has thoughts, however, with a new administration likely to take office in 2025, material changes to Google’s business model are unlikely in the short term.
However, given this continued uncertainty and the broad range of other platforms, marketers are wise to lessen their dependence on the Google marketing stack. Staying nimble and monitoring regulatory developments will be crucial to navigating potential disruptions.
9. The Shift to Contextual Targeting
As third-party data diminishes, contextual targeting is making a comeback. This strategy focuses on placing ads within relevant content rather than relying on individual user data, creating opportunities for brands to align with consumer interests in a privacy-friendly way.
The Burger King ‘Whopper Detour’ campaign is a prime example of successful geo-targeted contextual advertising. Innovatively leveraging location-based marketing, the campaign strategically targeted those within 600 feet of a McDonald’s location. By setting up a geo-fence around competing restaurants, Burger King could identify and connect with potential customers who were nearby. The ad was triggered by the customer’s proximity to McDonald’s and offered contextually relevant content, appealing to individuals who were likely already considering fast food purchases.
10. Cross-Channel Alignment
With more platforms and channels than ever, cross-channel alignment is essential. Consumers expect seamless experiences across devices and touchpoints, and marketers must deliver cohesive campaigns to stay competitive.
Managing and optimizing your programs in a unified platform is the cheat code for 2025. This type of integration streamlines workflows and ensures consistent messaging and performance measurement across all channels. In 2025 breaking down internal silos is a must-do.
Conclusion
Performance marketing in 2025 will be defined by the continuation of many of the themes we have been living through, but that doesn’t make them any less impactful. Staying ahead means embracing AI, preparing for regulatory changes, and adopting strategies prioritizing privacy and cross-channel integration. By aligning with these trends, marketers can position themselves for success in an increasingly complex and competitive landscape. Need help keeping up?
