Attribution without the credit grab: Redefining ‘marketing-sourced’ for modern CMOs

Modern enterprise buying doesn’t follow a straight line. Your attribution model shouldn’t either.

In B2B, marketing leaders are constantly asked to connect spend to revenue. But framing attribution around “marketing-sourced pipeline” misrepresents how growth happens. It introduces political tension, distorts the real influence marketing has across the funnel, and reinforces the wrong incentives. 

As Lisa Cole, CMO of 2X, explained on the Renegade Marketers Unite podcast, this framing does more damage than good. In today’s buying reality, it’s rarely just one team driving success. Marketing, sales, and partner efforts overlap constantly. Trying to untangle those threads for the sake of a single-source metric is a waste of time. 

“There is no such thing as a marketing-sourced sale. And on the flip side of that coin, there is no such thing as a sale that gets closed without those buyers doing research online,” said Lisa. 

Attribution still matters, but not as a claim for credit. It matters as a tool to evaluate investment performance and inform future decisions. That’s the shift CMOs need to lead. 

Why legacy attribution causes more harm than good

Attribution frameworks like first-touch and last-touch were created for simpler sales cycles. A campaign would trigger a response, hand off to sales, and close. In enterprise today, that linear path is gone. 

Buyers explore independently, build internal consensus, and engage with dozens of touchpoints that span digital, social, peer referrals, and partner channels. Many of these moments are invisible to traditional tracking methods. So when marketing is pushed to justify value using outdated attribution models, the numbers are already flawed. 

What gets rewarded: 

• Channels with better tracking pixels 
• Activities that happen to occur early or late in the journey 
• Team behaviors aimed at logging “claimable” touches 

What gets ignored: 

• The real signals of momentum 
• Influence across stakeholder groups 
• The effectiveness of cross-functional programs 

This environment breeds misalignment. Marketing is forced to over-claim, sales becomes skeptical, and executive stakeholders lose trust in the whole story. 

Marketing’s role is to drive momentum

The value of marketing is not as the single source of pipeline, but as the consistent force behind progress and conversion. 

Marketing creates the environment where deals are more likely to happen and close faster. In this state:  

• Brand builds confidence well before intent is declared 
• Content supports complex internal conversations 
• Campaigns generate urgency and relevance at critical moments 
• Enablement tools give sales the context to engage effectively 

None of that fits neatly into a lead source field. But it is what drives revenue growth. Attribution models should reflect that reality. 

A more effective approach to attribution

Progress starts when attribution moves from being a retrospective credit exercise to a forward-looking performance tool. The goal isn’t to split hairs over who owns what, but to understand what moves the needle and where to invest next. 

1. Redefine attribution around influence 

Build influence-weighted models that reflect the full range of marketing activities. Ask better questions: How did marketing shape the deal? What reinforced the buyer’s confidence? 

2. Match your model to your GTM strategy 

Multi-touch attribution only works if it reflects how your buyers engage. Customize models to account for multiple personas, looping journeys, and long-cycle consideration. If your model can’t account for the CEO reading a whitepaper forwarded by the CMO, it’s not giving you the real picture. 

3. Codify shared definitions 

Build a common language between marketing, sales, and RevOps. Define what counts as a qualified touch, what influence looks like, and how contribution is measured. Alignment breaks down when definitions aren’t clear. 

4. Normalize shared credit 

High-performing GTM teams don’t waste time arguing over who gets the win. They operate with shared accountability. Leadership should reinforce this culture by tying outcomes to team contributions, not individual departments. 

5. Use attribution to improve investments 

Attribution should support budget clarity. Show which programs moved the pipeline, and which didn’t. That’s how CMOs earn the trust to scale what works and cut what doesn’t. 

As Lisa explained, attribution shouldn’t be about taking credit. It’s a mechanism for holding marketing spend accountable and making smarter budget decisions. 

What alignment looks like when attribution improves 

Once attribution evolves into a shared strategic tool, it unlocks better results across the board. You’ll see: 

• Clarity on what drives pipeline velocity 
• Less friction between departments 
• Smarter budget allocation 
• More credible reporting to the board 
• Teams motivated by shared wins, not competing scorecards 

Attribution is not the story. It’s how you understand it.

Marketing leaders who still use “marketing-sourced pipeline” as a core success metric are missing the point. That framing doesn’t build credibility with sales or the CFO. It doesn’t help explain value to the board. And it doesn’t reflect how buying happens in 2025. 

Attribution should reflect that. When it does, it becomes the foundation for cross-functional trust, smarter bets, and stronger revenue performance. 

Want to hear more? Listen to Lisa Cole, Dave Bornmann (Higher Logic), and Marshall Poindexter (yorCMO) discuss attribution, alignment, and the real dynamics behind modern revenue growth on Renegade Marketers Unite.