Facebook's Dunnhumby deal makes the case for attribution

"Attribution should be a priority for marketers, but if the "it ain't broke don't fix it' attitude holds true for many, then this is a huge opportunity missed to improve marketing performance. In today's world there are many useful data sources that can shape marketing and improve efficiencies. The problem facing brands is how to connect this data in a way that sheds light on customer behaviour and purchasing, and reveals the role that individual marketing activity has played in the journey."

"Facebook's partnership with Dunnhumby will give brands the data the social network believes will prove the merits of its advertising offering. It also supports the view that marketing investment is currently nowhere near close enough to reflecting consumer behaviour and the customer journey. The likes of Facebook's Sales Impact solution, aligning campaign data with sales data, will start to address this and create greater predictability in the scale and sustainability that can be generated from digital marketing activity."

"The opportunities through mobile, the dominant platform for Facebook, places attribution on the agenda for traditional brand marketers as the pressure mounts to connect digital efforts with offline initiatives and in-store sales, in order to prove ROI. This could remove the ambiguity around measuring the value that can be generated from the mobile channel. Facebook has recognised this and, while there is healthy scepticism around the credibility of its solution, having connected data at marketers' finger tips will be a revelation."

Attribution must be prioritized to improve marketing performance and leverage abundant data sources. Brands need to connect disparate data to illuminate customer behavior, purchasing, and the role of individual marketing activities in journeys. Facebook's partnership with Dunnhumby and its Sales Impact solution align campaign and sales data to demonstrate advertising effectiveness and increase predictability of digital marketing outcomes. Mobile dominance pressures brand marketers to link digital efforts with offline initiatives and in-store sales to prove ROI. While some skepticism exists about solution credibility, connected data can clarify mobile value. True multichannel attribution and proper tracking allow holistic media planning and budget reallocation.

Read at The Drum