Every e-commerce team wants to know the same thing: “Is our marketing actually working?”

After reviewing the data from 100 brands, the answer is clear. For teams using ThoughtMetric, the shift is measurable.

We analyzed each brand’s Marketing Efficiency Ratio (MER) from their first month on the platform to their third.

On average, MER improved by 53.8% after the first three months.

Marketing Efficiency Ratio is total revenue divided by total marketing spend. It is the simplest way to understand overall business efficiency.

If your starting MER is 2.0, meaning you earn 2 dollars for every 1 dollar spent, a 53.8% increase brings it to 3.07. That is not a small optimization. That is a meaningful shift in how far your ad dollars go.

The jump comes from better decisions due to accurate attribution. Within the first three months, most teams make three core changes.

ThoughtMetric replaces platform-reported results with multi-touch attribution that reflects the real customer journey.

Teams quickly see which campaigns are truly profitable and which ones are not.

The outcome: the budget and efforts move toward the channels that consistently drive revenue (cutting wasted ad spend).

2. Optimizing for Customer Value

With accurate CAC and LTV data, brands can see which channels attract customers who return and purchase again.

Instead of chasing low-cost clicks, teams shift spend toward the touchpoints that bring in high-value customers.

Many teams rely on last touch because it is the default setting in many ad platforms. This puts all the credit on the final click and ignores the rest of the customer journey, which leads to skewed data and inconsistent decisions.

ThoughtMetric uses multi-touch attribution, which distributes credit across all touchpoints that influence the sale. This gives teams a more accurate view of what actually drove the conversion.

Improving profitability starts with understanding what actually drives revenue. The brands in this study saw that clarity within three months, and the impact showed up directly in their MER.

If you are ready to make more confident budget decisions, book a demo to explore how ThoughtMetric works.

Can I see my overall MER in ThoughtMetric?
Yes. ThoughtMetric calculates your Marketing Efficiency Ratio by combining total revenue and total marketing spend, giving you a clear view of business-wide efficiency.

Does ThoughtMetric show ROAS?
Yes. ThoughtMetric reports ROAS at the channel, campaign, ad set, and ad level. Many teams use it alongside MER to understand both granular and overall performance.

Can I track CAC and LTV inside ThoughtMetric?
Yes. ThoughtMetric calculates CAC and LTV.

Can ThoughtMetric help identify wasted spend?
Yes. With accurate attribution and clear ROAS reporting, low-performing campaigns become easy to spot and reallocate, which directly contributes to improved MER.