Demystifying Marketing Attribution: Asking the Right Questions with Drew Smith, Attributa

02/06/25 • 29 min

“Attribution isn’t about proving marketing’s worth—it’s about doing better marketing,” says Drew Smith, Founder and CEO of Attributa

In this episode of The Content Cocktail Hour, Drew Smith, Founder and CEO of Attributa, talks about the real secrets behind marketing attribution—beyond the hype and LinkedIn hot takes. Drew shares why most companies struggle with attribution, the biggest misconceptions about multi-touch tracking, and why the credit game between marketing and sales is a losing battle. He also unpacks the complexities of dark social, self-reported attribution, and how businesses should rethink their approach to tracking marketing success.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why marketing attribution should never be about claiming credit
How to ask the right questions before investing in attribution tools
When your company actually needs multi-touch attribution (and when it doesn’t)

Resources:

Connect with Jonathan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-gandolf/

Check out The Juice HQ: https://www.thejuicehq.com/

Connect with Drew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewsmitty/

Explore Attributa: https://attributa.io/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(02:14) Why most marketers struggle with attribution

(07:36) The myths and realities of multi-touch attribution

(11:45) The real reason marketing budgets get cut

(15:29) The dark social dilemma: Can it actually be tracked?

(21:10) Self-reported attribution vs. data-driven tracking

(24:42) Why playing the credit game will hurt your marketing team

(28:15) Final thoughts and takeaways

“Attribution isn’t about proving marketing’s worth—it’s about doing better marketing,” says Drew Smith, Founder and CEO of Attributa

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why marketing attribution should never be about claiming credit
How to ask the right questions before investing in attribution tools
When your company actually needs multi-touch attribution (and when it doesn’t)

Resources:

Connect with Jonathan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-gandolf/

Check out The Juice HQ: https://www.thejuicehq.com/

Connect with Drew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewsmitty/

Explore Attributa: https://attributa.io/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(02:14) Why most marketers struggle with attribution

(07:36) The myths and realities of multi-touch attribution

(11:45) The real reason marketing budgets get cut

(15:29) The dark social dilemma: Can it actually be tracked?

(21:10) Self-reported attribution vs. data-driven tracking

(24:42) Why playing the credit game will hurt your marketing team

(28:15) Final thoughts and takeaways

Previous Episode

The Power of Strategic Creator Partnerships with Aneesh Lal, Wishly Group

“Be strategic. Say no to things. Less is more,” says Aneesh Lal, Founder of the Wishly Group

In this episode of The Content Cocktail Hour, Aneesh Lal, Founder of the Wishly Group, shares his journey from media sales to building a successful creator talent agency. Aneesh talks about how brands can leverage multi-channel, multi-month strategies to create lasting audience connections. He also emphasizes the value of strategic brand partnerships, creator empowerment, and avoiding the pitfalls of overextending on brand deals.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why creators should focus on fewer, higher-value brand deals
The importance of multi-channel strategies in influencer marketing
How to measure success and build trust in creator-brand partnerships

Resources:

Connect with Jonathan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-gandolf/

Check out The Juice HQ: https://www.thejuicehq.com/

Connect with Aneesh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aneeshlal/

Explore the Wishly Group: https://www.wishlygroup.ca/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(01:01) Aneesh’s career journey and starting the Wishly Group

(06:33) Less is more when it comes to brand deals

(07:43) Multi-channel influencer marketing strategies

(10:24) How to measure success in brand collaborations

(18:19) The future of B2B influencer marketing on LinkedIn

Next Episode

Why Founder-Led Marketing is the Future with Amos Bar-Joseph, Swan AI

"I think in 2025, you should market your product before you sell it, before you build it. You start with demand as the top of the funnel," says Amos Bar-Joseph, CEO of Swan AI

In this episode of The Content Cocktail Hour, Amos Bar-Joseph, CEO of Swan AI, joins Jonathan Gandolf to discuss the evolving landscape of B2B sales and marketing in the age of AI. Amos shares his perspective on why traditional go-to-market strategies are outdated and how companies should shift their focus to marketing first, then sales, then product.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why founder-led marketing should be a top priority for B2B startups
How AI can enhance human relationships rather than replace them
Why marketing should come before sales and product in today’s go-to-market strategy

Resources: