From Metrics to Meaning: Measuring Brand Lift with Alistair Hill

On Device's Alistair Hill on the importance of reliable brand lift measurement

In our latest episode, we talk to Alistair Hill, co-founder and CEO of On Device, discussing measurement: how it's evolved, the current challenges, and what lies ahead. 

On Device’s strategic focus on brand lift measurement is driven by industry-wide confusion about what media is truly effective, particularly in a fragmented landscape spanning TV, CTV, digital, audio, social, and retail media. By concentrating on comparable metrics, On Device aims to provide ‘apples-to-apples’ insights which allow advertisers and agencies to make confident budget allocation decisions.

On Device’s mission is to prove that brand advertising works incrementally – and that unlocking its full value requires high-quality measurement frameworks to understand impact and optimise outcomes. Alistair explains: “The industry was really struggling with understanding what was working and what wasn’t working. Measurement comes up at every conference you go to, and high-quality data is in huge demand. When we really focused on doing one thing well, we got much better at it, and that’s when the business started to take off.”

Most brand recall measurement is fundamentally flawed

Alistair stresses the importance of passive measurement – a method that is far more reliable than relying on recall-based or click-based metrics. “You shouldn’t be using clicks or recall metrics to understand the effectiveness of brand advertising. Consumers have absolutely no idea what ads they see. They’re bombarded with messages all day, so recall just isn’t a reliable measure,” he states.

By using an approach based on passive measurement, On Device can monitor ad exposure across channels and link this to survey responses from verified, real people. “Advertising works passively. Even if you don’t realise you’ve seen an ad, it’s subliminally doing something to you. What we consistently see is that people don’t know they’ve seen ads, but those ads are still nudging them towards a brand.”

Why marketers need 'apples-to-apples' comparisons

As Alistair explains, advertising is most effective when channels work together, with certain combinations of media creating multiplier effects. “We’ve seen cases where a radio ad in the morning combined with out-of-home at lunchtime dramatically increases the likelihood of purchase.” 

Knowing which channels are most effective for your campaign and how well they work together relies on creating a consistent measurement framework. “If you’re using different methodologies across different media, you can’t say with confidence whether you should put more money into TV, CTV, digital audio, or something else. What clients really need is an apples-to-apples comparison so they can make big decisions based on data they trust.”

This has driven increased demand from On Device’s clients to measure emerging channels such as CTV and retail media, particularly in comparison with linear TV and established digital platforms, Alistair reveals. “Clients want to know whether the higher CPMs are actually worth it. You can target more, but the real question is: is it more effective, and does it deliver better value overall?”

Why data quality will determine the success of AI implementations

Alistair goes on to talk about the issue of data accuracy in the AI-enabled age. “If you feed bad data into models, you just get bad results faster. That’s why data quality is going to be such a big theme going forward.” On Device’s answer to this problem is an obsessive focus on data quality – without taking any shortcuts. 

 On the topic of AI, Alistair explains the impact that these transformative technologies have had on the company. “Great developers are becoming dramatically more productive, which means we can ship better features faster. The opportunity now is making our brand lift data accessible to AI systems so it can directly improve campaign execution.”

 Making this brand lift data accessible is something that can help On Device’s clients better understand their prospects of future success. “There’s a clear correlation between moving awareness or consideration today and seeing sales lift six months down the line. What we’re measuring links directly to the outcomes brands care about,” he says. 

Alistair’s final observation is on the importance of getting the fundamentals of advertising right. “Even with better tech and better models, it still comes down to fundamentals. Does the creative create emotional resonance? Is it in front of the right people? And if the product is rubbish, advertising won’t save it.” 

To find out more about the importance of using the right methodology to measure brand lift, quality data and the role of independent, third-party measurement companies, you can listen to the full episode here (link to be added).  

You can find the full episode and more on our Life in Digital podcast page. To find out more about On Device, visit https://www.on-device.com/