How Generac Uncovered a New Path to Growth With Marketing Mix Modeling

When standard attribution doesn't tell the full story

Generac Power Systems, the leading manufacturer of home standby generators in the US, operates in a category defined by long consideration cycles, multiple research touchpoints and demand that can shift dramatically with major weather events.

These factors made it difficult to answer fundamental marketing questions: Which channels are truly influencing purchase decisions? How much demand is media-driven versus storm-driven? And where should marketing investment go to create the greatest business impact?

To address these challenges, Generac partnered with TransUnion® to implement a marketing mix model (MMM) designed to handle the full complexity of Generac’s business, accounting for storm-driven spikes in demand, bringing retail purchases into the attribution picture and uncovering the hidden channels responsible for driving real marketing performance.

Why this matters now

Marketing budgets are under pressure. Scrutiny on performance has increased. And for brands with long consideration cycles, high-stakes purchase decisions or demand patterns shaped by external forces, standard attribution models don’t reflect the reality of complex (and often meandering) purchase paths.

When this happens, spending decisions are made with incomplete data. This can lead to situations where channels that look good on paper but aren’t actually delivering receive a disproportionate share of spend, often at the expense of other channels making key contributions in the background.

This is why marketing mix modeling is growing in prominence. As purchase paths fragment and become more complex, the ability to measure the impact of every channel becomes crucial for marketers looking to build campaigns that reach potential customers where they’re actually consuming media.

Who should read this case study 

• Marketing analytics and measurement leads
• Media strategy and planning teams
• Insights and performance leaders at brands with retail and lead-based conversion paths
• Marketing leaders building the case for marketing mix modeling investment
• Agency practitioners advising clients on attribution strategy

What it covers

• Why Generac’s complex consumer purchase paths were making marketing measurement a challenge
• What happened when Generac separated weather-driven demand from marketing-driven demand and why the results challenged long-standing assumptions about channel performance
• How scenario analysis gave Generac's marketing and finance stakeholders a shared framework for evaluating total business impact
• What Generac is prioritizing now that measurement reflects the full shape of its business

Key takeaways

• Weather events were masking and distorting media performance — changing the read on which channels were actually working
• Marketing mix modeling helped Generac identify previously undervalued channels and make more informed media investment decisions
• Retail and non-lead paths accounted for a material share of outcomes that were previously invisible to measurement
• A more complete measurement foundation helps marketing justify investment decisions and demonstrate business impact with greater confidence

Read the case study to discover how Generac used marketing mix modeling to uncover what traditional attribution couldn't and gain a clearer view of business impact.