Making the industry better: we put MiQ Sigma to the test

We can’t believe it’s already been a year since we launched MiQ Sigma. And in that time, it’s powered over 40,000 campaigns for more than 2,300 advertisers. But running lots of campaigns isn’t enough on its own to make sure that Sigma is leading the programmatic industry and actually making it better. So we put it to the test. 

We found out that Sigma campaigns deliver $2.22 in value compared to $1 across standard programmatic. Read on to see how Sigma also enhances audience engagement, reduces media wastage, and drives better results for marketers.

First, we had to make the tests as fair and representative as possible. So between Q2 2025 and Q2 2026, we ran a series of experiments across display, connected TV and online video with different KPIs (increased reach, low CPA, and conversions), and across verticals:

• Retail
• Media and entertainment
• Consumer packaged goods (CPG)
• Travel
• Education
• Politics
• Automotives
• Utilities.

We ran equal budgets through Sigma and standard programmatic technology, comparing performance across set-up and activation. We made sure that both tests had quality assurance features (brand safety, viewability, fraud controls, inventory quality) and supply-path optimization models, to ensure a base level of delivery quality was applied to both.

Then the magic happened. Our expert traders put Sigma to work on the test campaigns, tapping into different combinations of tech features and tactics for the best optimization possible.

Using a combination of advanced data-driven audience, competitor and contextual targeting, alongside campaign-specific inventory and bidding features (built from Sigma’s 700 trillion watching, browsing and buying data points) they customized each test campaign. Not only did activation features like Gen-AI Audience Personas allow for faster setup and optimization from the start and continuous bid and budget optimization, tools like Trading Agent also freed up our traders’ time. (And let them make double the campaign adjustments than before.)

Spoiler alert: MiQ Sigma outperformed standard campaign setups, delivering smarter and more effective results across platforms.

We normalized the results across all tests, using the control group KPI as the baseline. Then we compared the test group KPI to calculate lift, and applied this to media spend. And, to keep things fair, we included KPIs even where the control outperformed Sigma.

This is what we found out:

• Sigma campaigns returned $2.22 in value compared to $1 when run via standard programmatic
• Campaigns optimized by Sigma delivered 36.5% more reach per dollar
• Sigma delivered 27% higher incremental reach beyond linear across campaigns
• Conversion rates were 27% higher across Sigma-optimized campaigns
• Sigma achieved 24% lower CPAs across campaigns.

When it comes to programmatic, the proof is in the pudding. And these tests show just how sweet Sigma is.

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