Now, we look at how to future-proof measurement through AI-first, cross-channel and cross-device analytics - with Madhu Baktha, regional product lead, Google Analytics. Enter Google Analytics 4 (GA4).
2024 marks a turning point for advertising with new advancements in technology as well as increasing regulatory and consumer demands. Analytics tools built on old infrastructure aren’t able to support the increasingly high data volume, cookieless and modeling capabilities that a changing measurement landscape demands.
Today’s modern measurement calls for new analytics tools that have been designed with an eye on the future, specifically with privacy at their core and with a flexible data model, able to keep evolving, as further regulatory and technology changes come into play.
“As the landscape shifts, we must too,” says Madhu Baktha, regional product lead, Google Analytics. “These changes have been happening for some time but now is a crucial moment for marketers to ensure they are set for a smooth transition to avoid losing data critical for measurement, and there are tools in place to ensure that happens. Google Analytics 4 is a key pillar to every marketer’s durable measurement strategy as it's built to evolve with the changing digital measurement landscape.”
“These changes have been happening for some time but now is a crucial moment for marketers to ensure they are set for a smooth transition to avoid losing data critical for measurement”
Madhu Baktha, regional product lead, Google Analytics
The lowdown on GA4
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is an AI-powered, cross-channel, cross-device and privacy-first analytics platform built for enterprise needs. It’s an upgraded version of Universal Analytics, which collects and processes user data for marketers to track the success of their campaigns.
On the data collection side, it combines web, app & offline business and user data in one place, giving advertisers a 360 view of their customer journey - which Universal Analytics wasn’t able to do, at least not that easily. On the reporting and activation front, it includes sophisticated features like predictive metrics and audiences, which enable marketers to more accurately predict what a consumer is likely to purchase, the likelihood of that purchase happening, and helps marketers target consumers with the right campaign.
With AI advancements marketers are able to better understand their customers. In turn, this allows them to make more informed decisions on their campaigns.
“We believe the combined use of GA4 with consent mode and automated ad formats will be key in performance-based marketing for years to come”
Tony Preedy, managing director, Fruugo
Drawing insights from data
Transforming data into competitive advantage is “the secret sauce” for fast-growing online marketplace Fruugo, according to its managing director Tony Preedy. He describes the move to GA4 as “a technological leap”, noting that “it’s clearly built with user privacy top of mind, allowing us to be very strategic in what data we collect depending on a user’s preferences and location.”
With more high-quality consented data to feed into AI bidding, Preedy says it gives the brand “more confidence that we’re putting our investment in the right places” and is confident that AI modeling will help Fruugo better understand customer journeys across devices and protect the value of its data. “We believe the combined use of GA4 with consent mode and automated ad formats will be key in performance-based marketing for years to come,” he says.
“Machine learning is at the heart of GA4 and this means it will continue to improve over time,” explains Baktha. “We’re excited by the opportunities large language models (LLMs) and Generative AI are presenting to make it even easier to get insights from your data and move quickly on opportunities to maximize ROI on your marketing campaigns. Watch for more chat interfaces, more sophisticated anomaly analysis to help you find new opportunities, and even better predictive data to identify new audiences and anticipate trends.”
Changing measurement needs
For any business that hasn’t yet migrated from Universal Analytics to GA4, the time for action is now. “We recommend that users switch as soon as possible to give marketers that all-important, measurement preserving time,” says Baktha. “GA4 is a key part of a durable measurement strategy and the earlier you onboard, the easier it will be to adapt to changing measurement needs throughout the course of 2024 and beyond.”
Performance will gradually degrade in Universal Analytics 360 (UA360) up until the July 1, 2024 sunset date. Certain sets of reports including real-time reporting have already been deprecated in January and, come March, further functionalities and advertising capabilities will no longer be supported, including the ability to export conversions and audiences from UA360 to Google Ads or Google Marketing Platform for traffic in the European Economic Area (EEA).
“The migration process might seem daunting but if you break it into steps, the whole thing becomes a lot more manageable” says Baktha. “It's time to embrace the change. Let’s start exploring the exciting features of this platform and put them to work for us.”
“GA4 is a key part of a durable measurement strategy and the earlier you onboard, the easier it will be to adapt to changing measurement needs throughout the course of 2024 and beyond”
Madhu Baktha, Google
“The future of analytics is here. With Google Analytics 4, we have the power to understand our customers like never before”
Madhu Baktha, Google
An eye on the future
But the job isn’t done there. With the planned deprecation of third-party cookies on Chrome later in 2024, subject to resolution of any remaining competition issues with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) - the GA4 roadmap will continue to evolve in line with the demands of the market. Google is future-proofing critical analytics use cases by investing heavily in first-party data onboarding, Chrome’s Privacy Sandbox API integrations, and modeling.
“This platform is not just built for today,” says Baktha. “The future of analytics is here. With Google Analytics 4, we have the power to understand our customers like never before. Let’s dive in, discover the stories our data holds and drive our businesses forward.”
3 steps to get ready
To prepare now, Baktha recommends marketers focus on three key things:
Before early March, make sure audiences and conversions are migrated from UA360 to GA4.
Between March and June, prioritize the other aspects of migration and explore the full potential of GA4. Use it as your main source of truth for cross device analysis, audience targeting, and enabling seamless loyalty programs – precisely the capabilities GA4 was designed to deliver.
In parallel, ensure that you have exported all historical UA360 data before July 1 in a usable format (eg. BigQuery, API or CSV based on the needs and resources available within your team) as all data from UA360 will be deleted starting July 1, 2024.
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