AKAD University

More Reliable Marketing Data with Server-Side-Tracking

Challenge

AKAD, a leading higher education provider in Germany and Austria, struggled with unreliable marketing data. Campaign reports from PIWIK PRO, Google Ads, and Meta showed numbers far below expectations, making it nearly impossible for the marketing team to:

Understand the true performance of campaigns
Allocate budget with confidence
Prove the value of digital marketing to the business

In short: decisions were based on incomplete data, and opportunities for growth were being missed.

Solution

Together with Advance Metrics, AKAD migrated its entire tracking setup from Google Tag Manager to JENTIS server-side tracking. This new setup delivered:

Accurate data despite cookie banners and ad blockers: ensuring AKAD can still measure most of its traffic.
GDPR-compliant tracking: protecting user privacy while still capturing essential insights.
A future-proof setup: with AKAD’s team trained to maintain and expand tracking independently.

With the higher data quality, we understand much better which messages resonate and how we can meaningfully guide prospective students. This strengthens our work as a leading educational institution.

Erich Wolf

Head of Marketing

Results

The migration had a direct, measurable impact:

+51% more sessions tracked in Germany
+47% more sessions tracked in Austria

This uplift means AKAD now sees a fuller picture of its marketing performance. Campaign reporting is finally reliable, enabling the team to

Confidently compare channels and campaigns
Optimize budget allocation for maximum ROI
Back up marketing strategies with solid data when talking to management

What was once “guesswork” is now a data-driven growth engine!