Untangling Cross-Platform Performance Reporting
In-Depth User Interviews & Competitive Analysis
Overview
In 2025, the Retail Ads (RAX) team set an ambitious OKR: generate $XXXM in incremental booked revenue from the Artemis advertiser cohort.
But advertisers were increasingly relying on third-party (3P) attribution tools like Northbeam and TripleWhale as their “source of truth.” These tools offered neutrality, cross-channel reconciliation, and ease of use, challenging Google Ads’ position in performance reporting.
This research explored how advertisers think about performance reporting across Google and Meta, and informed Google’s Prospecting Goal measurement strategy.
Due to confidentiality, specific insight statements, quotes and full interactive prototypes and screen designs are omitted; I’m happy to walk you through them live.
Challenges
Business Challenge
Google Ads risked losing budget share to Meta, which was seen as the leader in prospecting.
Advertisers’ reliance on 3Ps threatened Google’s credibility in measurement — a key risk to the $XXXM Artemis revenue target.
Product Challenge
Slow: Google’s data latency limited quick optimization.
Biased: Platforms were perceived as “grading their own homework.”
Limited: Lacking incrementality testing, LTV modeling, and user-friendly reporting available in Meta and 3Ps.
Research Challenge
We needed to uncover:
Why advertisers trusted 3Ps over 1P platforms.
How they reconciled differences across Google, Meta, and 3Ps.
What KPIs drove prospecting campaign decisions.
Participants
I recruited and interviewed highly selected advertisers:
My Role
I led the project end-to-end:
Defined research objectives tied to business OKRs.
Designed the screener and interview guide.
Partnered with Legal to ensure competitive compliance.
Coordinated with Engineering for advertiser leads and Ops for scheduling.
Synthesized insights into an executive-ready framework for PMs, Designers, and senior leadership.
I acted as both researcher and cross-functional connector, ensuring rigor and strategic alignment.
Research Process
I designed the process for rigor, compliance, and depth:
Impact
Business
Strengthened Google’s positioning against Meta to protect the $XXXM Artemis revenue goal.
Product
Shaped roadmap discussions around automation, incrementality, LTV modeling, and creative-level reporting.
Cross-team
Helped PMs and Designers reframe 3Ps from “competitors” to complementary partners.
Executive clarity
Presented a simple framework:
1P = optimization
3P = reconciliation
Backend sales = true north
⚠️ Due to confidentiality, detailed insights are not shown here. At a high level, the research uncovered why advertisers trust 3Ps, how they evaluate Meta vs. Google differently!
I’d be glad to walk you through the full findings live.
Reflections
Research craft: Probing mental models revealed the deeper logic behind advertiser trust and budget allocation.
Leadership: I navigated legal sensitivities, stakeholder needs, and business pressures — keeping the work both rigorous and actionable.
Impact: This study influenced not only product features, but also Google’s broader measurement strategy.