- Have separate specialists or agencies for Google Ads, Meta, email, and CRO that work relatively isolated from each other
- Experience that multiple channels seem to "win" on paper, but total growth does not match it
- Evaluate marketing channel by channel based on ROAS, without a complete picture of how they actually interact
- Want to understand the difference between MER and ROAS, and when to use which
When each channel specialist is only measured on and optimizes for their own channel's best figures, a structural problem arises: everyone ends up chasing the same, easiest conversion — the warm, almost-ready-to-buy customer at the bottom of the funnel.
In isolation, this makes sense for the individual specialist: it is the easiest path to a great ROAS on their own channel. But from the company's perspective, it means that Google Ads, Meta, and email are potentially competing to "win" the same conversion — instead of each channel contributing something unique to the customer journey. The result is that you pay to move the same customer between channels without it actually driving new growth.
At the same time, the top of the funnel — where new, cold customers first encounter the brand — is underprioritized because no single channel specialist is measured on how well that work supports the rest of the journey.
An integrated media mix means that channels are intentionally designed to play different roles in the same journey, rather than competing for the same conversion:
Top of funnel
Organic content, TikTok, and creator and influencer collaborations continuously introduce new segments to the brand, without necessarily expecting an immediate direct conversion.
Middle of funnel
Meta and similar platforms re-engage the segments that have been introduced to the brand, building consideration.
Bottom of funnel
Google Ads and retargeting convert users who are already far along in their consideration process, moving them down the funnel to a purchase.
The point is that each channel has a defined contribution to the overall journey — not just an isolated goal of maximizing its own ROAS regardless of what happens in the rest of the funnel.
The most crucial change in breaking down silos is how success is measured. ROAS measures the return on ad spend for a specific channel or campaign — it is a channel-level figure that tells you nothing about how the channels work together.
Marketing Efficiency Ratio (MER) instead measures total revenue divided by total marketing spend across all channels — also known as "blended ROAS." An MER of 5 means that every dollar invested in marketing generates 5 dollars in revenue overall, regardless of which specific channel "got the credit" for the individual conversion.
In practice, the difference between MER and ROAS is the difference between measuring whether the entire system is working versus measuring whether a single channel looks good in isolation. It shifts the focus from "which channel wins the most" to "how effectively the entire system works together."
This does not mean that individual channel ROAS becomes irrelevant. However, it must be interpreted in the context of the rest of the mix — a channel with a lower isolated ROAS can still be crucial if it delivers the segments that later convert via another channel.
Breaking down silos requires more than just changing metrics — it requires channels to actually share information with each other:
1. Share creative learnings across channels
A winning message or angle from one channel should inform the strategy in the others — instead of each channel reinventing its own creative approach in isolation.
2. Build segments that flow between channels
People who interact with organic content or top-funnel ads should be recognizable and targetable in the channels that convert further down the journey.
3. Evaluate performance across the board, not channel by channel in isolation
Reporting should show how channels contribute to the overall journey — not just each channel's isolated metrics.
4. Give specialists a shared goal, not just individual KPIs
As long as each specialist is measured solely on their own channel's ROAS, the incentive will naturally lean toward siloed behavior. A shared goal centered on total MER or profitable growth changes that incentive.
When are silos actually a problem for you?
Three signs that channel silos are costing you growth:
- Multiple channels appear to perform well in isolation, but overall growth doesn't match that picture
- You cannot see how a customer actually moved through multiple channels before converting
- Channel specialists work relatively independently of each other, without a shared strategy or creative learning
If you recognize one or more of these, it is likely time to look at how your channels are organized and measured — not just at how they perform individually.
We never organize marketing as isolated channels, each measured by their own best metrics. We build a system where Paid Social, Paid Search, Email, CRO, and creative work together on the same journey — with data and creative learnings shared across the board, and a unified Marketing Efficiency Ratio as the primary benchmark for health.
This means that when we report on performance, we don't just look at which channel "won" the most conversions — we look at how the entire system works together to drive profitable growth. This is the approach that forms the foundation of our E-COM OS.
1. What is the difference between MER and ROAS?
ROAS measures the return on ad spend for a specific channel or campaign. MER (Marketing Efficiency Ratio) measures total revenue divided by total marketing spend across all channels — providing a picture of overall efficiency, independent of which channel gets the attribution.
2. Does an integrated media mix mean that all channels should have the same budget?
No. It means that each channel has a defined role in the customer journey, and that budget allocation reflects that role — not that all channels should be treated equally.
3. How do you discover if your channels are actually competing for the same customers?
By looking at whether multiple channels are retargeting or targeting the same, already warm segments without a clear, differentiated role for each channel in the journey.
4. Is it a problem to have separate specialists for each channel?
Not in itself, as long as they work toward a common goal and share data and creative learnings. The problem arises when each specialist is measured and optimizes solely in isolation for their own channel.
5. How do you start integrating siloed channels?
By first defining the role each channel should play in the customer journey (top, middle, bottom of the funnel), and then introducing a unified measurement like MER to supplement isolated channel KPIs.
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