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12/12/2024

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11/12/2024

Every day I hear "Your marketing isn't working, my customers all come from referrals or Google". The problem is, consumers don't really give attribution to the correct source.

Marketing Attribution vs. Branding: Understanding Consumer Purchase Decisions

In the complex landscape of marketing, businesses strive to understand the effectiveness of their strategies in driving consumer purchases. Two critical concepts in this endeavor are marketing attribution and branding. While marketing attribution focuses on identifying which specific marketing efforts lead to conversions, branding encompasses the overall perception and recognition of a company over time. This case study explores the challenges of marketing attribution, the enduring impact of branding, and how consumers often misattribute their purchase decisions to the actual causes within various marketing channels.

Marketing Attribution: Pinpointing the Conversion Drivers

Marketing attribution involves analyzing the customer journey to determine which touchpoints—such as advertisements, social media interactions, or email campaigns—contribute to a purchase. Various attribution models exist, each assigning credit differently:

First-Touch Attribution: Credits the initial interaction that introduced the consumer to the brand.
Last-Touch Attribution: Assigns credit to the final interaction before the purchase.
Multi-Touch Attribution: Distributes credit across multiple touchpoints throughout the customer journey.
Despite the availability of these models, accurately attributing conversions remains challenging due to the multifaceted nature of consumer interactions across channels. For instance, a consumer might see a social media ad, read a blog post, and receive an email before making a purchase, making it difficult to determine which interaction was most influential.

Branding: The Cumulative Effect

Branding refers to the process of creating a unique image and identity for a product or company in the consumer's mind. Unlike direct-response marketing efforts that aim for immediate conversions, branding focuses on long-term recognition and trust. Consistent branding efforts—such as logos, taglines, and brand messages—build familiarity and influence consumer perceptions over time.

A study by McKinsey & Company highlights that consumers are moving outside the traditional purchasing funnel, changing the way they research and buy products. This shift emphasizes the importance of maintaining a strong brand presence across various touchpoints to remain in the consumer's consideration set throughout their decision journey.
MCKINSEY & COMPANY

Consumer Misattribution in Purchase Decisions

Consumers often misattribute their purchase decisions, believing that a recent advertisement or promotion was the primary influence, when in reality, their decision was shaped by cumulative branding efforts over time. This misattribution poses challenges for marketers attempting to assess the effectiveness of specific campaigns.

For example, a consumer might recall a recent online ad when asked why they chose a particular brand, overlooking the months of brand exposure through various channels that built their initial trust and interest. This phenomenon complicates the attribution process, as the immediate trigger is more memorable than the prolonged branding influence.

Case Study: E-commerce Attribution Challenges

An e-commerce company implemented a content amplification strategy across various native networks to introduce new users to the brand and drive subscriptions. Initially, performance was measured using a last-click attribution model, which credited the final interaction before conversion. Over time, this model failed to capture the full impact of native advertising efforts.

To address this, the company adopted a customized attribution model that credited conversions to clicks immediately preceding purchases from brand search and direct traffic. This approach revealed a 44% increase in conversion volume attributed to native campaigns, demonstrating how traditional attribution models can undervalue the role of branding and earlier touchpoints.
DIGITAL MARKETING COMMUNITY

Balancing Attribution and Branding

While marketing attribution models provide insights into specific touchpoints leading to conversions, they often overlook the broader impact of branding. A balanced marketing strategy should integrate both:

Short-Term Metrics: Utilize attribution models to assess the immediate effectiveness of campaigns and optimize accordingly.
Long-Term Branding: Invest in consistent branding efforts to build consumer trust and recognition, which influence purchase decisions over time.
Understanding that consumers may not accurately recall the influences on their purchasing decisions underscores the importance of maintaining a strong brand presence across all channels.

Conclusion

The interplay between marketing attribution and branding is complex, with each playing a vital role in influencing consumer purchase decisions. While attribution models aim to identify specific drivers of conversions, they often fail to account for the cumulative effect of branding. Recognizing the limitations of attribution and the potential for consumer misattribution is crucial for developing effective marketing strategies that balance immediate performance with long-term brand building.

Works Cited

McKinsey & Company. "The Consumer Decision Journey." https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/the-consumer-decision-journey

Digital Marketing Community. "Which Attribution Model Is Right For Your Business? | Case Study." https://www.digitalmarketingcommunity.com/case-study/which-attribution-model-is-right-for-your-business-case-study/

Adobe Experience Cloud Team. "Marketing Attribution — Models and Best Practices." https://business.adobe.com/blog/basics/marketing-attribution

30/11/2024

Small business Saturday!! Use your Great Deals magazine and support local business.

21/11/2024

Tory Buchan with Great Deals Media is offering free classes on marketing and sales. What are you doing to educate yourself on the best practices to market your business? Reach out to Tory and ask about the next classes. Additionally, the last class is available on video.

21/11/2024

Recruiting high performance marketing sales representatives.

11/11/2024

Thank You, Veterans.

05/11/2024

Go Vote!

31/10/2024

📢 Free Sales & Marketing Class for Small Business Owners! 📢
If you're looking to ramp up your sales and marketing skills, join us for a 2-hour free class on Nov 15, 2024, at The Flagship Enterprise Center in Anderson, IN! Learn to create effective marketing plans, manage budgets, and perfect your sales pitch through role-play and script-building.
💼 Network with other local businesses and enjoy free coffee and donuts! Spots are filling up, so register today!

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30/10/2024

Hey everyone this is a great opportunity.

11/3/24 @ 11:59 PM - United Way of Central Indiana

30/10/2024

Let's use Facebook as a community for growth!
One of the greatest things about Facebook is the network we've each built—and it's not just about adding contacts; it's about finding ways to support and lift each other up in business.
Imagine if, every time we knew someone who could benefit from a service one of our contacts offers, we made a quick intro.
Imagine if we took a moment to share a post from a fellow connection or offered a recommendation when someone asked for advice. Together, we can multiply opportunities by being a proactive community.
Let's use Facebook to help one another grow:
• When you see someone offering a service, think about who in your network might need
it
• Take a moment to shout out others' work. It costs nothing and means so much.

Steve Rupp is a 25-year real estate industry veteran who grew up in real estate and led… · Experience: Steve Rupp Coaching · Education: Xavier University · Location: Carmel · 500+ connections on LinkedIn. View Coach Steve Rupp’s profile on LinkedIn, a professional community of 1 billion memb...

29/10/2024

Hey friends! Who’s up for FREE coffee, donuts, and a marketing + sales class? I’m hosting a free class on marketing and sales, and I’d love to see you there! This isn’t your typical workshop; it’s fun, informative, and—did I mention?—delicious.

Join me, Tory Buchan from Great Deals Media, in person for the full experience, or catch us online if you can’t make it. Bring a friend, bring your questions, and let’s learn something new!

Let me know if you’re in!

12/10/2024

We had a great day sharing with Clemens Home Solutions at the home show today. Check this out.

This is "Clemens Video collage 2024 home show" by Tory Buchan on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

12/10/2024

Clemens Home Solutions home show in Muncie today from 9 am to 4 pm.

02/10/2024

https://business-startups.getresponsesite.com/

10/09/2024

Fans Check out Uranus Fudge Factory-Anderson Indiana new Mini Golf.
Find an awesome offer if you look inside this months Great Deals Anderson Magazine.

10/09/2024

September Magazines are being mailed out starting today! Check your mailboxes this week and save.