Glossary/Measurement & Attribution/Causal Inference
Measurement & Attribution
Causal Inference
Statistical methods used to determine whether marketing actually caused an outcome, rather than merely being correlated with it.
By Brandon Mina·CEO, BrandPilot AI·Updated November 2026
Short answer
Causal inference is a set of statistical methods used to determine whether a marketing activity actually caused an outcome, rather than merely being correlated with it. Approaches include randomized experiments, difference-in-differences, synthetic controls, and regression discontinuity, helping marketers estimate true incremental impact and avoid crediting campaigns for sales that would have happened anyway.