How the Advocates Transformed Their Marketing Strategy: Insights from Director of Marketing Adri Montero

Adri Montero shares how data clarity turned confusion into confidence for one of the West’s leading PI firms.

Disclaimer: The opinions represented here are those of the individual and do not necessarily represent those of their current or former employer.

Adri Montero knows how messy marketing can get, especially in the personal injury space, where firms run billboards, TV ads, Google campaigns, and grassroots referral programs all at once. As Director of Marketing at The Advocates, Adri oversees a multi-channel strategy covering everything from YouTube ads to medical provider referrals. But for years, the biggest challenge wasn’t visibility, it was understanding what actually worked.

In this conversation with Tap In Digital’s Ted Coxworth, Adri shares how she went from relying on gut instinct and fragmented data to making strategic budget decisions with confidence. She unpacks the path to better attribution, faster onboarding, stronger internal alignment, and real changes in where and how The Advocates market.

Watch the full interview below, or read on for a selection of key takeaways.

Key Takeaways

• Clarity trumps complexity: A unified model helped show where the budget was truly performing.

  
  

• Stop flying blind: Attribution gaps hid key opportunities—like the untapped power of prior clients.

  
  

• Fast, painless onboarding matters: Tap In’s team handled the grunt work, even for messy legal data.

  
  

• Strategic shifts need evidence: Visual simulations helped win internal buy-in for bigger budget moves.

  
  

• A real partnership, not just software: With direct access and proactive support, Tap In became an extension of Adri’s team.

From Guesswork to Strategy

When Adri joined The Advocates, she brought a demand gen background and an expectation of data-backed decision-making. But in legal marketing, “everything was last touch.” If a client said “my friend referred me,” that was it, even if they’d seen 12 billboards and clicked on an ad first. The firm’s spend was massive, but the siloed, manual tracking system didn’t reveal what was working.

“I knew it wasn’t accurate,” Adri says. “But it’s hard to argue for more budget without data to back it up.”

That changed when Tap In Digital introduced unified attribution and correlation modeling. For the first time, Adri could see how different channels worked together and where dollars were being wasted.

Turning Data into Action (and Budget)

With Tap In’s simulator and forecasting tools, Adri could show owners not just a guess, but a projection. “If we get 20% more budget for this channel, here’s the impact,” she told them with the graphs to back it up.

This new level of insight didn’t just win her budget, it redirected strategy. For instance, Tap In’s models revealed just how powerful referrals and prior clients were. That insight led Adri to shift internal priorities, dedicating staff to develop a full client referral program.

“We always knew referrals mattered,” she said. “Now we can prove it and take action.”

Painless Onboarding, Even with Messy Legal Data

Onboarding big marketing platforms is often a nightmare. Adri braced herself for that but was surprised.

“Onboarding normally sucks,” she laughed. “But Tap In handled the heavy lifting. Their team took our clunky spreadsheets and made them work.”

Thanks to quick integration and agile iteration, her team was up and running fast, adjusting filters, breaking out channels, and refining their views within weeks.

Better Conversations, Smarter Campaigns

With new visual reporting, Adri was able to shift how her team and leadership talked about marketing. Instead of fuzzy outcomes, she could speak in specific metrics. Instead of only focusing on growth, she could show where spend wasn’t earning results and stop it.

“As much as I like to find places to spend more,” she said, “I also love finding where we’re wasting money so we can stop doing that.”

Tap In’s speed and flexibility in updating dashboards helped her team iterate, learn, and act fast.

A Team That Feels Like Your Own

Perhaps the biggest difference? Tap In didn’t feel like a vendor. From live feedback loops in Teams chats to proactive monitoring of campaign data, Adri describes the Tap In crew as “an extension of our team.”

“They’re catching things we didn’t even see in our own campaigns,” she says. “And they’re bringing us ideas without even being asked.”

The result? More alignment, more momentum, and marketing that’s finally as smart as the firm it supports.

Smarter Legal Marketing Starts Here

Whether you're a law firm owner trying to make sense of your marketing mix or a director seeking budget alignment with leadership, Adri’s story is proof: clarity changes everything.

If you’re ready to see what your own data is hiding, Tap In Digital can help. From onboarding to insight to action, we’ve got your back.

👉 Contact us today to turn your marketing from a mystery into a strategy.