Analytics & Data Science

Analytics & Data Science Committee Meeting
Thursday, May 21, 2026 | 11:00am - 1:00pm ET

Welcome & Introductions (11:00am-11:15am ET)
Tina Jordan, Vice President, Data Excellence & Privacy, Association of National Advertisers

I. Seeing is Believing: How Sequence-Aware AI Reveals what Traditional Measurement Misses  (11:15am - 11:50am ET)

Marketing mix models are powerful, but they measure marketing force, not customer motion. They tell you which channels drove sales, but not how persuasion built inside the customer journey. As marketers push for more granular answers by creative, audience, etc., mix models become less stable, not more precise.  In this session, our presenters demonstrate a new approach that adds a transformer AI layer to traditional marketing measurement. Using a case study from Memorial Sloan Kettering, they'll show how sequence-aware modeling improved the ability to identify true converters by nearly 5× over last-touch attribution and what that means for media allocation, cross-channel strategy, and optimization. Channels and creative play distinct roles depending on where they appear in the journey, and you’ll see proof that search often captures demand it didn't create. Furthermore, cross-channel synergies that aggregate models can't estimate become visible and actionable.

Speakers:
Dr. Grant West, Senior Director, Marketing Science, In4mation Insights
Adam Graves, Senior Director, Marketing Analytics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer 

II. Incrementality Testing: What Actually Works?  (11:50am -12:20pm ET)

Incrementality testing promises causal truth—but in practice, it’s rarely that clear-cut. Join ANA peers for a candid, practitioner-led roundtable on how incrementality testing really shows up today: where it delivers, where it falls short, and how teams balance statistical rigor with business reality.  We’ll unpack experimental vs. quasi-experimental approaches, the shortcuts marketers actually take, and what to do when incrementality, MMM, and MTA don’t align.  This interactive session is designed to surface the real-world trade-offs, tensions, and decisions that shape modern measurement strategies. If you’re running tests, scaling them, debating methodology, or reconciling conflicting results—this conversation is for you. 

What You’ll Walk Away With:
Clear, practical perspectives on methodological trade-offs
Real-world approaches to integrating incrementality, MMM, and MTA
New ideas for building a more cohesive, credible measurement strategy

Speakers:
Joan FitzGerald, Vice President, Data Excellence & Privacy, ANA
Michael Paolini, Vice President, Test & Learn, Mastercard

III. Roundtable Discussion (12:20-12:50pm)

IV. Closing Remarks (12:50-1:00pm ET)