Attribution: Untangling the web of confusion — a primer for marketers

Abstract

After more than a decade since the first marketing attribution offering appeared in the marketplace, advertisers, analysts, agencies and vendors cannot seem to agree on a common definition. Some of the confusion may be due to the complexity of the subject matter, or, as a conspiracy theorist might have it, the result of deep-rooted agendas set by those involved in media buying/planning with millions of euros at stake. Whatever the cause, the industry is now more confused than ever. One need look no further than the recent reports published by Gartner and Forrester Research to find competing perspectives that leave the industry confused. This paper shines a light on Forrester Research’s perspective that the marketing measurement and optimisation industry has evolved into a new category called ‘unified marketing impact analytics’ that combines significant strategic consulting services with software, and Gartner’s view that multi-touch, algorithmic attribution and marketing mix modelling are still two very distinct disciplines, which although integrated, rely first and foremost on software. To eliminate this confusion, this paper provides additional details designed to cut through the hype, expose the pros and cons of the different attribution approaches available, and take one step closer to defining attribution for the industry.