Forrester Report Identifies 'Leaders' In Channel Attribution Space

A new report from Forrester Research identifies WPP’s GroupM as one of the top five providers of cross-channel attribution tools and platforms in the industry. It was the only media agency entity to make the list. The report comes as marketers increasingly are looking for more precise attribution tools to increase the effectiveness of the advertising and marketing dollars they spend.

In addition to GroupM, Visual IQ, ClearSaleing, Adobe and Convertro were selected by Forrester as industry leaders in the cross-channel attribution field

The report, entitled “The Forrester Wave: Cross-Channel Attribution Providers Q2 2012,” examined consumer interaction points across both online and offline channels. It was based on initial conversations with 60 firms that were invited to provide details of their offerings. The research firm evaluated the offerings and narrowed the field to what it concluded were the five leaders in the industry.

Forrester evaluated each vendor against dozens of criteria, including attribution approach; data management; data privacy and security; implementation and use; reporting; analysis; service and support; and client relationship and pricing structure.

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Also taken into consideration were vendor strategies and how they meshed with client needs, industry trends and Forrester’s own take on how well vendors are positioned to address future attribution issues and needs. Customer satisfaction was also assessed.

The Forrester report identified Visual IQ as the top-ranked provider, citing its “extensive experience in the cross-channel attribution services landscape. It provides a solid methodology, an easy-to-use interface,” the report stated, “and comprehensive analytics and measurement insights. It has the most experience in incorporating all marketing channels into its attribution model.”

ClearSaleing was ranked second in the report, which noted the vendor’s “strong algorithm, rules-based attribution methodologies, and some experience incorporating offline data sources.” The report added that “ClearSaleing can input in-store traffic data, catalog, and print data into its attribution model. Further investments are being made in this area, and ClearSaleing’s expertise and longevity in this space makes it a viable strong performer.”

GroupM was ranked third and its LIVE attribution platform was described by Forrester as “the surprising dark horse in this attribution space. As a WPP-owned entity, GroupM is typically thought of as a media investment management operation,” Forrester noted. The research firm praised its “advanced algorithmic approach” as well as its incorporation of “a vast number of data points across different interaction points. Its experience in media management, coupled with an analytical attribution platform, puts this vendor in a unique position to offer an in-depth point of view on attribution.”

One criticism of the GroupM platform, per the report, was the lack of customer-level attribution, while GroupM indicated to the researcher that it’s evaluating increasing customer demand for that capability. That said, Forrester concluded that the LIVE platform was a “very strong choice,” particularly for buyers that have more “media-centric” attribution needs.

The report concluded that both Adobe and Convertro have “more limited” attribution capabilities. Adobe’s attribution services skew heavily toward online connection points, although Forrester said the vendor was working to improve its offline offering. Convertro’s attribution methodology and offline development are “promising and ripe for acceleration in this market.”

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