At a Glance
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Practice: LASIK surgery
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Market: Regional metro
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Ad spend: $50k/month
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Timeline: 90 days
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Stack: MMM + multi-touch attribution windows
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Primary challenge: Channel ROI unclear
Key Insight
YouTube wasn’t failing — it was invisible in last-click. MMM proved its role in driving downstream conversions.
Problem
The practice wasn’t sure which channel drove surgeries. YouTube looked weak on paper, but intuition suggested it mattered. But they had no way of determining if their intuition was right.
Approach
We ran MMM with multi-touch attribution windows for their search and YouTube campaigns. Analysis showed while YouTube didn’t convert directly, it lifted branded search conversions by 26%. Video advertising was highlighting the consumer’s desire and search was picking it up at the transaction stage when they were ready for the next step.
Results
By preserving YouTube in the mix and aligning it with search, LASIK patient starts rose 34%. CPA fell as blended performance improved.
Benefits
1
Channel Synergy That Proved YouTube’s Role
By looking at the entire funnel, MMM showed that YouTube wasn’t a weak performer — it was a powerful awareness driver that fueled branded search. This shifted the narrative around video spend from “optional” to “essential.”
2
Attribution Clarity Beyond Last-Click
Standard reports credited only direct search. MMM corrected the record, showing YouTube deserved credit for 26% of downstream conversions. This gave the practice confidence to keep running a channel that competitors were abandoning.
3
Budget Rebalancing to Protect ROI
By proving YouTube’s contribution, we preserved a valuable channel and ensured budget was allocated in a way that maximized patient starts while lowering blended CPA.