Incrementality testing
Prove your media actually works.
Geo-lift tests show causal impact, not correlation: which channels drive real business results, including the ones no pixel can see.
- Test and control markets, not attribution models
- Works for OOH, podcasts, streaming TV and radio
- Most tests reach significance in 3–4 weeks
- Per test
- $15,000
- For most tests to reach significance
- 3–4 weeks
- That you can target by market
- Any channel
The problem
Attribution is broken. You know it.
Every platform claims credit for the same conversion. An incrementality test is the only way to know what is driving results.
Correlation isn’t causation
Attribution says paid social drove 40% of conversions. What happens when you turn it off? An incrementality test tells you.
Clients want proof
CFOs ask how much comes back for every dollar spent. A geo-lift test gives the answer.
60% still use click attribution
Despite 15 years of outcomes-based messaging, most campaigns are still judged on clicks. It’s time to measure what matters.
How a geo-lift test works
Real experiments, real answers
- 1
Select markets
Choose matched test and control DMAs.
- 2
Run the campaign
Deliver ads only in the test markets.
- 3
Measure the lift
Compare outcomes in test markets against control.
- 4
Scale the budget
Invest in the channels that prove incremental.
Hard-to-measure channels
Measure the channels clicks can’t
The channels with the biggest reach are often the ones nobody can prove. A geo-lift test doesn’t need a click.
Billboards and OOH
Out-of-home is the last major channel with no click-through attribution. Billboards, DOOH and transit, measured without pixels or new tracking.
Podcasts
No cookies, no pixels, just “trust us” metrics. Promo codes undercount, because buyers forget or share them.
Streaming TV
Impressions don’t equal impact. A geo-lift test shows what streaming TV adds in the markets it runs in.
Radio and anything you can geo-target
Still reaching millions, still no conversions to track. Any channel you can target by market can be tested.
Out-of-home
Spending on billboards? See what they’re doing.
Your CFO asks for proof, and you have reach estimates and gut feel. Using marketing mix modeling, we isolate the business impact of your OOH spend: no pixels, no tracking, just math.
- A directional estimate of OOH’s contribution to business outcomes
- Benchmarks from comparable advertisers in your category
- A preliminary view of channel-level efficiency
The snapshot shows what’s possible. A full test or mix model goes deeper, on your actual spend data.
Get a free OOH impact snapshot
A directional analysis of your outdoor spend’s business impact.
What you get
Causal proof, connected to your plan
Geo-lift tests show what your media spend is doing, and what it isn’t.
Test and control by design
Run media in test markets and hold out control markets. The lift is measured, with no modelling assumptions and no reliance on cookies or platform data.
Results you can present
A statistically rigorous read of the incremental lift per channel, ready for the client.
Connected to MMM and planning
Test results validate mix-model response curves and feed the next plan: a loop from test to plan.
Pricing
Priced per test
Billed through the agency, from the client’s budget.
$15,000
per test
- Test design and market selection
- Running the geo-lift experiment
- Statistical analysis and reporting
- Presentation-ready results
- Results connected to MMM and planning
Questions
Common questions
- Why geo-lift rather than promo codes?
- Promo codes undercount impact, because many buyers forget or share them.
- How long does a test run?
- Most reach significance in 3–4 weeks, depending on spend.
- Which channels can be tested?
- Any channel you can geo-target: podcasts, streaming TV, radio, OOH and more.
- Do I need historical data?
- No. The experiment isolates the lift during the test window only.
“Halliard gave our planners a better way to build media plans and our clients a clearer picture of what their spend is doing. That’s been really valuable for us.”
Lisa Matulis
Group Client Lead, Lewis Media Partners
Stop guessing. Start proving.
Your clients deserve real answers.
A 15-minute call. No deck.