Understanding the Attribution Model
Measure impact across channels.
Attribution models play a critical role in marketing by assigning credit to specific touchpoints in a consumer's journey. The Multi-Channel Last Touch Attribution Model is a refined approach that accounts for multiple channels used simultaneously by marketers, ensuring credit is assigned to the activity that most directly inspired the purchase, while considering attribution windows for each channel.
Key Definitions
To fully understand the Multi-Channel Last Touch Attribution Model, the following definitions are important:
Marketing Event: A marketer-initiated activity, such as a campaign or journey message delivery. Note: Delivery time differs from the send time for larger campaigns.
Conversion Tracking Event: A contact-initiated activity, such as opening or clicking a marketing message, confirming awareness of the content.
Conversion Event: A contact-initiated activity signifying customer action, such as a purchase. Some marketers may also consider key actions like product page views as conversion events.
Attribution Window: The fixed time period during which a conversion event can be attributed to a marketing event. Attribution windows vary by channel (e.g., hours to days).
How It Works: A Practical Example
Let’s explore the Multi-Channel Last Touch Model with a detailed scenario:
A campaign is sent to a contact via email and SMS simultaneously (marketing event)
The SMS attribution window is 24 hours, while the email attribution window is 5 days.
Over the next 4 days, the contact engages with the following actions:
Day 1: Opens the email and clicks a link in the email (conversion tracking event)
Day 2: Clicks on the SMS link (conversion tracking event)
Day 3: No activity
Day 4: Makes a purchase (conversion event)
Multi-Channel Last-Touch Attribution Outcome:
The model identifies that while the SMS attribution window has expired, the email attribution window (5 days) is still active. Since the contact engaged with the email on Day 1, the email receives the credit for driving the purchase.
Key Insight:
The combination of channels (email and SMS) led to the conversion, but the email was the last active touchpoint within its attribution window when the purchase occurred.
If the purchase had happened within both the SMS and email attribution windows, the outcome would align with the traditional last-touch model, crediting the last engagement (SMS).
Attribution Metrics for Reporting
When analyzing conversion metrics, it’s essential to use the attributed marketing event’s timestamp rather than the conversion event’s timestamp.
Example:
Campaign A is delivered on Day 1.
Conversion events occur on Days 2 and 3.
For accurate reporting:
Aggregate conversions to Campaign A’s delivery date (Day 1).
This avoids misrepresenting the conversion rate by day, as no new messages were sent on Days 2 and 3.
By aligning conversion data with the marketing event’s timestamp, marketers gain a clearer view of campaign performance.
Conclusion
The Multi-Channel Last Touch Attribution Model is a powerful tool for marketers aiming to understand the true impact of their efforts across multiple channels. By accounting for attribution windows and focusing on the consumer’s most impactful action, this model ensures accurate credit assignment, helping marketers optimize their strategies for better ROI and customer engagement.
