-
122
properties successfully migrated to GA4 -
55
global markets transitioned -
70%
reduction in tracked events -
1
global framework, tailored for local activation
Overview
Arla Foods is the largest producer of dairy in Scandinavia and the largest dairy in the United Kingdom, operating across 55 markets globally. As the business continues to scale its digital maturity, accurate, timely, and consistent measurement has become critical to understanding audience behaviour and driving smarter business decisions.
In anticipation of Universal Analytics being sunset, Arla needed a future-ready data infrastructure that could be deployed across multiple global websites without interrupting day-to-day marketing operations. Partnering with Merkle and The Barn (Arla’s in-house agency), Arla created a streamlined, global GA4 measurement framework: supporting more consistent analytics, better data governance, and a 70% reduction in event tracking complexity.
The challenge
Arla’s existing analytics landscape was fragmented. With each market using Universal Analytics independently, there was no single standard for implementation, governance, or reporting. The impending sunset of UA created both risk and opportunity.
Arla needed to act fast to preserve insight continuity and avoid data loss, but without sacrificing long-term measurement goals. The business required:
A safe, coordinated migration to GA4 across 122 properties
A clear, scalable framework for global analytics management
A reduction in tracking noise and complexity to improve performance
A partner to support implementation without disrupting BAU
The innovation
Merkle and The Barn collaborated closely with Arla to deliver a two-phase GA4 transformation:
- Discovery and planning: Merkle led a strategic discovery process to understand the nuances of each GA4 property and align teams on implementation priorities. A unified framework was developed to map business objectives to measurement requirements and event tracking.
- Implementation at scale: With the plan in place, over 120 websites were migrated to GA4. Merkle redesigned Arla’s analytics setup using a modular, scalable approach: reducing the number of tracked events by 70% without losing actionable insight.
The result was a centrally managed, locally relevant solution. It delivered both data quality and operational efficiency; future-proofing Arla’s analytics without adding friction for internal teams.
“Merkle has been instrumental in helping us optimise our digital strategy and drive business growth through data-driven insights. Their team of experts provided us with a well-thought-out migration plan to upgrade from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4, and they executed it flawlessly. Their meticulous attention to detail and proactive approach ensured a smooth transition with minimal disruption to our day-to-day operations.
What truly sets Merkle apart is their day-to-day management of our relationship.
They have taken the time to understand our business objectives and have provided valuable guidance on how to use data to achieve them. Their strategic approach to account management has enabled us to uncover new opportunities and make informed decisions that have positively impacted our bottom line.”
— Thomas Jespersen, Global Head of Owned Media, The Barn, Arla
The impact
Arla now has a single, global measurement solution that supports smarter, faster decision-making across markets.
122 properties migrated to GA4 across 55 markets
70% reduction in event tracking noise
Zero disruption to business-as-usual activity during migration
Stronger alignment between business objectives and measurement
Empowered local teams to own and adapt insights with global governance in place
Arla’s marketing and analytics teams now have a shared language for data, enabling greater collaboration, consistent reporting, and more effective strategy development across the organisation.
