• by Dan Sherr , September 5, 2013

With Path to Purchase front and center in any discussion of media planning, big data has emerged as a major contributor to the process. Customer transactions and data available from most point of sale systems, e.g., frequent shopper programs, provide rich insight to the consumer’s path to purchase. Most important, it contributes to the planner’s understanding of the media cadence for promotional events. With analytics, it can advance the planners understanding of “which media when” as part of omni-channel campaigns.

On the surface, Path to Purchase is simple: Plan, Shop, Buy, Share.  However, it is not linear. Instead it is rather chaotic. And that chaos is the challenge for the media planner: multiple touch points, multiple media, multiple media devices and multiple consumer segments. However, by understanding data’s role within the marketing mix, media planners can streamline their omni-channel campaigns with the following steps:

• Start with segmentation and cadence. A longitudinal analysis of transactions provides both segmentation and cadence. Segmentation in this application is driven by behavior, not demographics.  We refer to this process as the search for Act-A-Likes not Look-A-Likes. Consumers with matched buying behavior over time are grouped into consumer segments. Planners have to understand who their consumers are and how to impact a relationship with them by knowing their media habits.

• With consumer segments defined and cadence in hand, media planning starts with a Path to Purchase model. Path to Purchase media models align consumer buying behavior to the advertiser’s media strategy for each step of the path. This alignment guides the planner’s evaluation and selection of media for consideration. A dynamic integrated media plan with online and offline media provides high visibility, flexibility and efficiency for both national and local campaigns.

• After a campaign budget is set, allocation of the media spend is next for the planner. Point Of Sale data provides the information needed for this analysis. Consumer transaction count, response and average ticket determines the step by step ad spending.

• Media by Path to Purchase is guided by the consumer. Ask them. Third-party syndicated consumer surveys, e.g., Prosper Insight, Nielsen, Experian Simmons, can get the planner started. Test and learn is the mantra of the planner in the Path to Purchase driven media marketplace. The Big Data customer transactions provide the “learnings” that deliver continuous improvement. Performance analysis includes not only payout but the diagnostics that confirm your segmentation, cadence, ad spending and media mix.

Conventional wisdom for media, offer and creative is 40-40-20 (40% media, 40% offer, and 20% creative). However, the multi-touchpoint, omni-channel media planning demanded by today’s Path to Purchase models has set new rules for the planner:

• Brand is paramount - make it quickly and easily identifiable in every medium.

• Recognize the multi-touch point flow of the Path to Purchase - the promotional campaign a “serial story” varying the message (offer and creative) to the medium.

• Planning is still At Home, Mobile offers the spontaneous opportunity for cross and up sale.

The Path to Purchase model has added complexity to media planning and greatly expanded expectations for analytics. Big Data has moved front and center for every stage of media planning - consumer modeling, media planning and performance evaluation. Using this data to understand consumer buying behavior and the way they interact with media is now fundamental to generating sales and driving ROI.