Attribution Management: Common Myths & Misconceptions

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Attribution Management Forum 7

Myths and Misconceptions

Presented by:

Adam Goldberg

Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer

ClearSaleing Inc.

Proprietary and Confidentialwww.ClearSaleing.com

1) I don’t have an attribution problem


Do I have an attribution problem?

• Multiple ad sources

• Big advertising budgets

• Sales cycles

• Visits/conversion

• Self-fulfilling prophecy


2) Last click is the chosen one

Hence, Last Click


The birth of last click

• Came from Web Analytics

• Trying to solve what customers do on site

• Not the path they took to get there

• Only last click was exposed

• Happenstance


3) No good methods for assigning credit


Perfect or bust

“The perfect is the enemy of the good”

-Volaire-


Many methods better than last click• Not easy

• Not 100% accurate

• What’s the alternative?

• Simple models are very effective

• Even with brand exclusions

Last Click Even Exclusions Rules Based Algorithmic


4) There are no good tools


Forrester Wave on Interactive Attribution


Downloads

Forrester Wave on Interactive Attribution

www.ClearSaleing.com

Attribution Management Buyers Guide

www.clearsaleing.com/product/accurate-attribution-management/


5) Attribution can be done with web analytics


Graphic design can be done in Word™

• Might see path of clicks

• What about display view-throughs?

• Email?

• SEO?

• Affiliates?

• Offline conversions?

• How do you value each step in the path

• Is it actionable?

• Time

• Bid Management


6) Attribution can be done in a silo


I have swampland in Florida to sell you

• Hottest topic in online marketing

• Checking the box on marketing collateral

• Ignores everything but search

• Better than last click


7) Attribution is buying the right mix of media


One side of the attribution coin

• Partially true

• Project vs. Operational attribution

• AKA Media Mix Modeling

• Very important

• Everyone should be doing this

• Not validating what has been done


8) Pulls dollars away from search


Pulls dollars from search to search

• Not true

• Client’s search budgets are increasing

• Reduces value of brand terms

• Increases value of general terms

• Values introducer and influencers

• i.e. Top of the funnel


9) Path Analysis is a waste of time


Interesting vs. Actionable

• Agree if it takes you hours upon hours to assemble paths

• Pull in spend data

• Pull in each step

• Match conversion

• Compile path reports

• Brand as navigation

• Affiliates as closers

• Path analysis will change the way you think about marketing


The Purchase PathSource-Level View


The Purchase PathAd-Level View


The Purchase PathClick Path Details / Product(s) Sold


The Purchase PathClick Path Details / Product(s) Sold


10) A/B testing is effective for attribution


If time weren’t an issue…

• Test needs to be longer than avg. sales cycle

• Tests aren’t cheap

• How much time do you want to be in test mode?

• Dozens of tests need to be performed to get to answers that analytics can provide concurrently


A ‘simple’ A/B test

Network 1 Network 2

Test Name # of Tests Time (Days)

Networks 2 28

Websites 4 56

Creative 8 112

Total 14 196

Sales Cycle = 7 Days

Website 1 Website 2

Creative 1 Creative 2

What about ad sizes, demographics, psychographics?

What if there were more networks, websites, creatives etc?

Test Cycle = 14 Days


11) Attribution takes too much time it


Attribution saves time

• Automatically calculate credit according to your attribution rules

• Same data points just more accurate values

• Decisions off more accurate data yields better outcomes


12) Attribution is a silver bullet


People are the silver bullet

• There are no silver bullets

• It still takes competent people

• Elements like bid management can be automated

• Humans need to set rules


Contact ClearSaleing

Adam S. Goldberg

Chief Innovation Officer

P: 614.448.2688 x902

E: [email protected]

www.AttributionManagement.com

www.ClearSaleing.com/Blog

Follow ClearSaleing: http://twitter.com/ClearSaleing

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Attribution Management: Common Myths & Misconceptions