DIGITAL

MARKETING
ATTRIBUTION
Introduction
Marketing attribution has been around
for as long as diligent marketers have
been trying to measure and track
the impact of their activities. The
Interactive Advertising Bureau defines
digital marketing attribution as the
measurement of the value of each digital
marketing contact that contributed to
a desired outcome.1 In other words,
this is the process of defining how
customers prefer to engage, and what
drives the outcome you are attempting
to measure.
Earlier this year, a Deloitte Digital study
on the importance of the CMO-CIO
relationship identified one large factor
driving this collaboration is the drive to
focus on the customer. Together these
executives will lead the definition of
what it means to build a 360-degree
view of the customer, and how to
use that understanding to build a
customized, meaningful customer
experience across multiple touch points.
This move toward personalization is
where attribution comes into play.

Myth vs. Reality

The increase in advertising on digital

media channels, along with the
importance placed on the customer
journey has resulted in demand for
more accurate methods of measuring ad
performance and ROI. The concept of
digital attribution is not new and some
early methods included offer codes
or designated telephone extensions.
However, the increase in data from
social, mobile and other digital channels
has given rise to more interest in, and
the adoption of cross-channel marketing
attribution projects.
A recent survey2 of more than 600
marketing professionals in the U.S.
showed that this year nearly 10% more
marketers are investing in revenue

reporting, compared to last year. The

same study showed 38% of those
who increased their revenue reporting
still did not have an attribution model
in place, and nearly one third had no
idea which digital channels made the
biggest impact on their bottom line.
The inability to attribute revenue to
activities in digital channels is likely not
due to a lack of information on the
subject, as a simple online search for
digital marketing attribution yields
more than 100 million results.

1Interactive Advertising Bureau. (2012). Digital Attribution Comes Of Age [Pdf file]. Retrieved from http://www.iab.net/digitalattribution
2Webmarketing123. (2014). 2015 State of digital marketing [Pdf file]. Retrieved from http://www.webmarketing123.com/news/
webmarketing123-unveils-results-4th-annual-state-digital-marketing-report/**CMO.com

INTRODUCTION 01

Digital attribution is not one of the

easier analytics concepts to grasp,
let alone implement, especially when
applied to multichannel or omnichannel
marketing scenarios. Most marketers
and consultants express their opinions in
the form of tips, tricks, or how-to guides
that assume an organization is inevitably
heading down the attribution path.
Make no mistake, marketing attribution
is a worthy endeavor. For those new
to the concept, however, it can be
intimidating to wade through vast
amounts of detailed information, feeling
as though you are playing catch-up with
your peers.
This article aims to dispel some common
misconceptions, provide foundational
knowledge about how attribution
works, and empower brands to develop
and deploy their own attribution
programs.
Misconception #1: Digital
attribution is only for B2C
Marketers often typecast digital
attribution as appropriate for only
programs and campaigns aimed at
consumersafter all, those are what
draw attention. But attribution can be a
useful metric for a variety of businesses,
regardless of customer type, because
of the increase in data being collected
indicating how customers engage.
Companies typically utilize CRM systems
to glean relevant information about
customers and prospects. Being able
to access, understand, and utilize that
data is often a precursor to attribution
modeling. In fact, two of the primary
components to venturing down the
attribution path include the ability to
collect data on customer touch points
and the ability to define something to
measure (a conversion).
B2B companies have been slower
to incorporate digital attribution

into their marketing strategies and

revenue reporting models. This
slower adoption rate is largely due to
fundamental differences in revenue
cycles, according to BrightFunnel, a
B2B-focused attribution and revenue
forecasting company. They explain
that, B2B companies have to navigate
their marketing and sales efforts to and
through multiple decision makers and
evaluators. Because of their differences
in revenue cycles consumer marketers
have been quicker to solve attribution
for their efforts than B2B marketers.3
Although B2B companies may face

Over the past decade, Mindshare has seen an explosion of marketing touch
points that have put placed increased scrutiny on the value perception of
media mix modeling. Ultimately, Mindshare applied a top-down approach
with media mix modeling, alongside digital attribution modeling as a
bottom-up modeling approach.

Historically agencies didnt necessarily look at data as

a real asset. Digital has really been the massive driver
of that.
If you integrate a data and analytics framework with
the strengths of a media agency, then you significantly
increase your ability to deliver a tangible impact for
your clients.- Rolf Olsen, CDO Mindshare*
greater challenges than consumerdriven companies, their decision makers
are placing no less importance on
attribution. In fact, proving ROI was the
number-one digital marketing challenge
that B2B marketers reported for 2015,
according to one study. In the face of
growing emphasis on attribution, B2B
marketers are becoming more uncertain
about which digital channel drives the
most revenue. This uncertainty was up
6 percent from last year.3

3Webmarketing123. (2014). 2015 State of digital marketing [Pdf file]. Retrieved from http://www.webmarketing123.com/news/webmarketing123unveils-results-4th-annual-state-digital-marketing-report/**CMO.com

MYTHS VS REALITY 02

The almost continual introduction of

new technology is driving the rise of
digital attribution strategies within all
types of organizations. B2B companies
are taking advantage of digital
marketing tools that are designed to
help companies to focus their crosschannel marketing efforts and become
more efficient.

attribution process, they cant overcome

every challenge. Organizational silos
that inhibit the sharing of information
are a significant obstacle to undertaking
a digital attribution project.

MYTH #1

Digital attribution
is only for B2C.

While these new marketing tools can

empower all types of organizations
and will undoubtedly aid the

B2B Marketers Working on Gaining

a Better Understanding of What
Content is Effective (and what isnt)

86%
B2B marketers
use content
marketing

21%
B2B marketers
use content
marketing, who
are effective at
tracking ROI

working on
this now
working on this
within 12 months
say its not a
priority
provided no
answer

Misconception #2: Digital

attribution sits only with
marketing
Attribution is about more than
accountability and effective allocation
of marketing resources, and the real
value is in its ability to drive a unified

4Deloitte Digital. The CMO-CIO Relationship (2015, January 16)

customer experience by providing

a more transparent view of how
customers engage with the brand. In
order to realize this value, the digital
attribution endeavor requires alignment
and integration across a number of
functions to be successful: the CMO
and marketing team, the CIO and IT
team, the CFO and finance team, the
CEO, and third-party vendors.
It is crucial that these C-suite roles take

what some call a closed-loop approach

to marketing: working collaboratively
to define objectives, deciding on
an approach, sharing information,
analyzing data, and creating short- and
long-term strategies.
The entire organization has the
opportunity to focus on and be held
accountable for the customers brand
experience. The CMO and CIO can
better collaborate toward a broader
vision by leading with the customer
experience and their companys
business goals.4

MYTHS VS REALITY 03

Executives in most organizations

generally see marketing as owning
the attribution initiative. In a recent
Forrester survey5, 68 percent of
respondents identified marketing as the
department responsible for the strategy.
While the marketing team usually
aligns and drives the strategies, as well
as executes on creative objectives, if
these teams cannot easily interface with
IT-generated customer data, it will be
difficult for them to drive an attribution
strategy.
More importantly, the whole process
will gain little traction without
alignment across the C-suite. The
CEO, CMO, CIO, and CFO must be in
agreement that digital attribution is a
worthy undertaking because progress
depends on their teams working
together. There will be bumps in the
road while marketing customizes,
tests, and refines attribution models to
determine the most accurate channel
contributions, and the implementation
process will be more manageable if the
proper alignment and communication
channels are established across
functional teams at the outset.
This alignment can also help dispel
the notion that attribution modeling
is an exact science and can remain
static once an optimal mix has been
determined.

MYTH #2

Digital attribution sits only

with marketing.
CEO
Sets overall business objectives
Ensures that measurement strategy
is in alignment
Interested in the impact of marketing
measurement on the bottom line

CIO

CFO

CMO
Primary advocate, owner, and driver
of the attribution initiative
Must understand how attribution will
integrate with business objectives
Must make strategic measurement
decisions
5Forrester Research Inc., Organize for Marketing Measurement.
December 4, 2014.

MYTHS VS REALITY 04

Misconception #3:
Digital attribution models are
exact and static
It is well known that attribution
modeling can be complex and
confusing for those of us who do not
hold statistical analysis or data science
degrees. There are a wide variety of
models available, but perhaps none
of them align with your goals and
tactics. Finding the attribution mix

that is most accurate for tracking your

customers journey will surely require
customization.
Continual monitoring and refinement
is also a must. A recent Duke Fuqua
School of Business survey asked leading
CMOs about the factors preventing
their organizations from furthering their
marketing analytics initiatives, and the
top answer was that current analytics

do not offer sufficient insights.

This suggests an environment where
additional spending on measurement
could be a tough sell without an
understanding that customization
is essential for increased accuracy in
attribution modeling.6
Multi-channel attribution modeling
and analysis is not a one-time effort, it
is something youll do all the time. Not

Multi-channel attribution modeling and analysis is not a one-time effort, it is something

youll do all the time. Not every day, but at least do an operational review every two
weeks and a strategic review (with recommendation for changes) every month.
Avinash Kaushik, cofounder and CEO of Market Motive
every day, but at least do an operational
review every two weeks and a strategic
review (with recommendation for
changes) every month. Avinash
Kaushik, cofounder and CEO of Market
Motive7
Popular software solutions offer a
variety of out-of-the-box models to
get marketers started on a attribution
project. These models include last

interaction, last non-direct interaction,

first interaction, linear attribution, and
time decay, but this article will not delve
into a critique of specific attribution
models, as it is a lengthy topic worthy
of its own discussion. However, most
marketers would probably agree that
first interaction and last interaction
models are a bit antiquated in todays
world of digital, cross-channel
marketing because they do not account
for the many steps in a customer
journey. Attribution modeling also has

difficulty accounting for certain offline

touch points like billboards, magazine,
newspaper, and bus advertisements.
An organization should regularly
examine its digital ad spend and
compare it to overall spend because
diversifying the digital media mix,
and ensuring an optimal mix of
placements is an important element
of both attribution and customer

MYTH #3

Digital attribution models are exact & static.

Types of attribution models

6Duke Fuqua School of Business. (2015). The CMO survey [Pdf file]. Retrieved from http://www.fuqua.duke.edu/
news_events/news-releases/cmo-survey-feb-2015/#.VWYElM9VhuA
7Avinash Kaushik. (2013, August 12). Multi-Channel Attribution Modeling: The Good, Bad and Ugly Models [Blog
post]. Retrieved from http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/multi-channel-attribution-modeling-good-bad-ugly-models

MYTHS VS REALITY 05

experience. This can be based on a

number of factors including the stage
of the customer journey, engagement
platform, message, or call to action.
No matter how simple or arduous the
process of establishing an attribution
system, marketers should continue
refining their modeling and measure a
shifting range of channels, based on
how channels are performing, how
customers are engaging with the brand,
and any changes to ad placements.
Sticking with a standard or static model
may lock in incorrect assumptions about
the customer pathand everything
else.
All of these specifics around attribution
modeling might have you wondering if
it is worth the effort. The short answer
is maybe. This leads us to the final
misconception on our list.
Misconception #4: Digital
attribution is a must
The benefits of establishing
an attribution effort within an
organization can be far-reaching.
Digital methodologies, paired with new
marketing technologies, can track and
account for consumer activity in ways
not previously possible. The ability to
analyze and understand the available
data points, as well as translate them
into a tangible understanding of ROI,
is where the real value lies. Forrester
Research analyst Tina Moffett writes
that attribution is the most effective
approach to marketing measurement.8
However, marketers should take a
pragmatic approach to introducing
digital attribution and launching a
campaign to get the entire C-suite
on board. Not every organization will
find the results worth the considerable
effort of a major initiative. Approached
strategically, attribution is a long-term
investment of both time and resources

and, as Moffett explains, Adoption

is low because it is a difficult task.8
She points to the fact that many
organizations view attribution not as a
strategic initiative, but as a side project
most appropriately headed by midlevel managers. Moffett also says that
customer purchase paths are often
convoluted and that the vast amounts
of available customer data make it
difficult to integrate and correlate
patterns.
Many companies simply cannot afford
the large price tag that accompanies
full investment. Implementing an
attribution-measurement strategy
can cost hundreds of thousands of
dollars, if not millions, depending on
how many systems or platforms are
being integrated. These high costs
are often associated with factors
such as campaign volumes and the
customization of models as well as the
dedicated resources needed to manage
the software platform. Stakeholders
may balk at the steep learning curve
for standing up an attribution effort,
since the customization and refinement
require managers who are well-versed
in the modeling principles.
In addition, attribution may not be right
for you if: your digital ad spends are
only a small portion of your budget,
your digital media mix is not diversified
across a wide range of channels, or
your planned digital spend is not part of
a long-term strategy.
Attribution modeling strategy often
takes time to yield insights and benefits.
As a platform is activated and data is
fed into the model, insights are typically
only gleaned going forward; there is
limited ability to analyze past customer
interactions. Naturally, once the
platform is turned on, the insights and
benefits begin to build incrementally

8Measure the Impact of Cross-Channel Attribution, Forrester Research Inc., June 4, 2014

MYTHS VS REALITY 06

over time, with each refinement of

the model.
Ahead of deploying a full-fledged
attribution strategy, organizations can
and should leverage existing assets to
measure the impact of marketing mix
by using internal analytics and current
reporting methods. Basic marketing

channel or campaign assessment is

something every marketer should
be doing. There will undoubtedly
be limitations on how much can be
uncovered regarding cross-channel mix,
customer journey mapping, or real-time
analytics based on this type of analysis.

Enrichment in these areas is

what investing in attribution platforms
can help enable.

Meas urement

EXPERT9
MEASUREMENT

PRO9

MYTH #4

Digital
attribution
is a must.

Meas urement

DABBLER9
Meas urement

LAGGARD9

Planning for the Future

Marketers not to mention CEOs
must consider a number of variables
when evaluating whether an attribution
strategy is appropriate. The decision
is only complicated by the increasing
speed of digital marketing and the
pressure on marketers to act fast and
keep up. The challenge for executives
is factoring the level of understanding
and buy-in needed across the entire
organization to make an informed
decision about how to move forward.
At Deloitte, we work with clients on
a wide variety of projects, and digital
marketing attribution is just one of the

Implements more
structured campaign
testing processes and
has dedicated internal
and external resources
to conduct analysis.

Demonstrates
sufficient skill to establish
cross-channel marketing
performance measurement
frameworks and activate
insights.

ways we can help a business plan for its

future. Realizing business impact starts
with understanding our clients goals
so we can ask the types of questions
needed to develop the right approach.
Our experience has shown that what
an organization needs is a partner
who understands its business and its
industry, and brings a clearly defined set
of methods for solving business-critical
challenges.
In an increasingly digital world,
generating and analyzing data is the
driving force behind digital attribution,
marketing optimization, and delivering
a compelling customer experience. We
help our clients identify the strengths in
their existing customer data to start the

9Build Capabilities For Measurement Success, Forrester Research Inc., February 17, 2015

Measures complex
customer interaction in
real time and leverages
multiple measurement
approaches, including
attribution.

process of building the systems that will

allow them to recognize their customers
and provide them with a meaningful
experience no matter their level of
interaction with the organization. By
developing a holistic understanding of
an organizations internal systems and
what they know about their customers,
an initial attribution solution can be
built on a foundation that will scale up
as markets acquire new data sources,
and fill in gaps that have been identified
in project planning.
Digital attribution is a complex and
moving target that often changes faster
than the business cycle. While not
every company will or should - invest
in a full-scale program, many have
moved in that direction, keeping up
with changing technologies, customer
behaviors, and markets. Our crossfunctional teams know the questions to

MYTHS VS REALITY 07

ask to elicit the information needed to

build capacity and realize the benefits in
being able to attribute customer actions
to financial outcomes.
Companies that are ready and take
the necessary steps to prepare for
an attribution strategy often turn the
benefits of attribution digital or
traditional into their own competitive
advantage.

AUTHORS
Edward See
Principal
Deloitte Consulting LLP
Aaron Lavin
Senior Manager
Deloitte Digital, Deloitte
Consulting LLP

The Deloitte Digital Approach

Goals
We help you articulate a clear
future state

Questions
We develop the questions to
illuminate a path forward

Method
We implement the best solution
based on our experience

As used in this document, Deloitte means

Deloitte Consulting LLP and its subsidiaries,
which provide business consulting and advisory
services as well as technology design and
implementation services; and Deloitte Tax
LLP, which provides Audit and Tax advisory
capabilities. These entities are separate
subsidiaries of Deloitte LLP. Please see www.
deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description
of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its
subsidiaries. Certain services may not be available
to attest clients under the rules and regulations
of public accounting.
This publication contains general information
only and is based on the experiences and
research of Deloitte practitioners. Deloitte is not,
by means of this publication, rendering business,
financial, investment, or other professional advice
or services. This publication is not a substitute for
such professional advice or services, nor should
it be used as a basis for any decision or action
that may affect your business. Before making
any decision or taking any action that may affect
your business, you should consult a qualified
professional advisor. Deloitte, its affiliates, and
related entities shall not be responsible for any
loss sustained by any person who relies on this
publication.
Copyright 2015 Deloitte Development LLC.
All rights reserved.
MYTHS VS REALITY 07
Member of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited

Sources
James Aitken. (2015, May 10). Attribution
Modeling Cause for concern or for the
cause? [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://
www.mandmglobal.com/community/
blog/15-05-10/Attribution-modelling%E2%80%93-Cause-for-concern-or-for-thecause.aspx
Nadia Cameron. Data-driven attribution
delivers dividends for TransUnion CMO.
(2015, April 29). Retrieved from http://www.
cmo.com.au/article/573775/data-drivenattribution-provides-dividends-transunioncmo
Mat Zucker. (2015, April 27). Transforming
your business with digital creativity
[Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.
forbes.com/sites/matzucker/2015/04/27/
transforming-your-business-with-digitalcreativity
Q3 2014 Global Cross-Channel Attribution
Wave Report, Gartner, April 13, 2015
Ian McKee. (2015, April 7). Can marketing
attribution models save PR measurement
[Blog post]. Retrieved from https://
econsultancy.com/blog/66280-canmarketing-attribution-models-save-prmeasurement
Evaluate Your Marketing Performance
Measurement Maturity, Forrester Research
Inc., March 31, 2015
Kate Kay. (2015, March 31). Mindshares
New Data Chief: Media Mix Modeling is
Not Dead: A Q&A with Former Carat Exec
Rolf Olsen [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://
adage.com/article/datadriven-marketing/
mindshare-s-data-chief-media-mix-modelingdead/297822/
Derek Handova. (2015, March 16). What no
one is telling you (until now) about marketing
attribution technology [Blog post]. Retrieved
from http://www.b2bnn.com/2015/03/
what-no-one-is-telling-you-until-now-aboutmarketing-attribution-technology
The State of Cross-Channel Attribution
Technologies 2015, Forrester Research Inc.,
March 9, 2015
Mike Scafidi. (2015, February 25). PepsiCos
Biggest Digital Marketing Challenge
[Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.
imediaconnection.com/content/38212.asp

Build Capabilities For Measurement Success,

Forrester Research Inc., February 17, 2015

Innovate to become an Attribution Master,

Forrester Research Inc., September 2, 2014

Deloitte Digital. The CMO-CIO Relationship

(2015, January 16)

Randall Beard. (2014, June 19). Are We

Entering a Singularity in Advertising?
[Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.
business2community.com/marketing/
entering-singularity-advertising-0912846

Duke Fuqua School of Business. (2015).

The CMO survey [Pdf file]. Retrieved from
http://www.fuqua.duke.edu/news_events/
news-releases/cmo-survey-feb-2015/#.
VWYElM9VhuA
Robert Glazer. (2014, December 29). 5 Digital
Marketing Trends for Smarter Customer
Acquisition in 2015 [Blog post]. Retrieved
from http://www.steamfeed.com/5-digitalmarketing-trends-smarter-customeracquisition-2015/
Allison Schiff. Marketing Mixed Opinions On
The Future Of Attribution (2014, December
19). Retrieved from http://adexchanger.com/
analytics/marketing-mixed-opinions-on-thefuture-of-attribution/
Use Cross-Channel Attribution to Understand
Marketing Effectiveness, Forrester Research
Inc., December 18, 2014
Organize for Marketing Measurement,
Forrester Research Inc., December 4, 2014
Daniel Kehrer. (2014, December 2). The Truth
about Cross-Channel Attribution in Marketing
[Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.
forbes.com/sites/forbesinsights/2014/12/02/
cross-channel-attribution
Steven Hofmans. (2014, November 18).
Marketing Analytics for Attribution Modeling
[Blog post]. Retrieved from http://loyalty360.
org/loyalty-today/article/marketing-analyticsfor-attribution-modeling
Adam Parikh. (2014, October 9). Marketing
Attribution in a Digital World [Blog post].
Retrieved from http://www.exactdrive.com/
news/marketing-attribution-in-a-digital-world
Kohki Yamaguchi. (2014, September 25). 3
Challenges of Attribution Modeling: The Bad,
The Bad, and the Ugly [Blog post]. Retrieved
from http://marketingland.com/3-challengesattribution-modeling-bad-bad-ugly-101257
Danny Dalton. (2014, September 11).
Extending The Shelf Life Of The CMO [Blog
post]. Retrieved from http://blogs.adobe.
com/digitalmarketing/digital-marketing/
extending-shelf-life-cmo/

Measure the Impact of Cross-Channel

Attribution, Forrester Research Inc., June 4,
2014
Martin Kihn. (2014, May 12). Why most
marketers wont miss stand-alone attribution
platforms (but probably should) [Blog post].
Retrieved from http://blogs.gartner.com/
martin-kihn/why-most-marketers-wontmiss-stand-alone-attribution-platforms-butprobably-should/
Extract Business Value From Your Mix Model,
Forrester Research Inc., March 27, 2014
BrightFunnel. (2014, January 14). What
Is Multi-Channel Attribution? [Blog post].
Retrieved from http://www.brightfunnel.com/
all/what-is-multi-channel-attribution/
Webmarketing123. (2014). 2015 State of
digital marketing [Pdf file]. Retrieved from
http://www.webmarketing123.com/news/
webmarketing123-unveils-results-4th-annualstate-digital-marketing-report/
Avinash Kaushik. (2013, August 12). MultiChannel Attribution Modeling: The Good,
Bad and Ugly Models [Blog post]. Retrieved
from http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/multichannel-attribution-modeling-good-badugly-models
Anto Chittilappilly. (2013, July 30). Three
Prerequisites To Successful Cross-Channel
Optimization [Blog post]. Retrieved from
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/
article/205632/three-prerequisites-tosuccessful-cross-channel-op.html
Daniel Kehrer. (2013, July 29). 8 Trends
Driving Marketing Attribution Now [Blog
post]. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.
com/sites/forbesinsights/2013/07/29/8trends-driving-marketing-attribution-now/
James Green. Which Ad Attribution Model
Should You Use? (2012, July 26). Retrieved
from http://mashable.com/2012/07/26/adattribution-model/