Cookieless Attribution: How deSpreker.nl Built a Future-Proof Event-Based Model

The Challenge

deSpreker.nl faced low lead volumes and complex customer journeys. Standard attribution held back growth potential and lacked a full picture of value. The challenge was to reassess attribution fundamentally in order to scale leads without incremental budget.

The Strategy

Instead of simply fixing a broken system, the team built an entirely new, cookieless, event-based model from the ground up. In 2024 it was refined with machine learning and CausalImpact experiments to prove real incremental growth. From January 2025, a customised Google Meridian was used to predict revenue per event, making cross-channel advertising more efficient.

The Work

The execution utilised causal impact and seasonality predictive metrics alongside AI, not just for efficiency, but to bridge a costly gap in expertise and capture highly qualified leads. The approach tackled the industry's single biggest challenge regarding signal loss, demonstrating how deep, foundational data strategy separates leaders from the pack and positions a business for sustained future growth.

Results

The strategy delivered an 18% increase in leads year over year and cut cost per lead by 12%, showing clear, measurable impact.

The Judges' Verdict

PaperDigits and deSpreker.nl secured top honours for a forward-thinking entry positioned at the cutting edge of data-driven marketing. Rather than fixing a broken system, they rebuilt measurement philosophy from the ground up, and the rigour of that approach was reflected in the results. Judges praised the execution for tackling the industry's biggest challenge around signal loss, delivering immediate, high-performing results that prove both present success and future readiness.

"An entry that demonstrates how deep, foundational data strategy separates leaders from the pack."