• by Sharona Sankar-King , October 16, 2013

After almost 20 years of modeling marketing performance, it has been a wonderful sight to see the Big Data evolution of digital marketing. For some it may seem overwhelming, but for those like me, it is a wonderland of analytic possibilities.  At no other time in history have statisticians had such vast amounts of one-to-one data to build performance optimizations. Needless to say, the space of digital attribution has exploded, and it has provided marketers with many tools to drive their business performance forward.

Over the years, fortunately and unfortunately, I have witnessed many companies reap the benefits of digital attribution while others have been left sorely disappointed.  Over that time, I have managed digital attribution from full-service agencies, creative shops, and now media. What I have found is that media agencies are uniquely positioned to get the most out of whatever type of digital attribution route a marketer chooses. It comes down to three key elements that a media agency brings to the table:

1.  Broader perspective

A media agency is afforded a holistic view of the marketing strategy. Media plans by nature must take into account all of the components of effective marketing -- from audience insights, branding and creative, cross-channel paid, owned, and earned executions all the way down to the best placement -- to deliver on the experience. Media professionals must have a bird's eye view while still managing the devilish details of every campaign component, both offline and online. Planners  must maintain a clear understanding of the data, DMP, and attribution landscape. 

Having the broadest understanding of a brand's marketing execution will lead to more actionable insights and recommendations. 

2. Performance-driven culture (measurement and optimization)

Digital attribution often begins as a measurement tool, but then what? How can marketers quickly get from measurement to optimization? Because media is a performance-driven business, it is set up structurally and culturally to quickly turn measurement results into optimization opportunities. Whether driving brand or direct-response metrics, planners and analysts must be accountable for performance at the end of the day. At media agencies, the performance mindset is ever-present and optimization is perpetual. When one marketing cycle ends, optimizations are already being devised for the next, often occurring weekly and in some cases daily.

Like no other area of marketing, planners are required to find ways to optimize paid media while also recommending optimizations for owned and earned components. To deliver the best optimizations, a media analyst will evaluate content just as much as delivery. The reason for this is simple; optimization doesn’t happen in a vacuum -- and nowhere else is this more apparent than in media

3.   Execution-focused structure (workflow to drive action)

Information has a value -- and that value is to drive action in the right direction. Digital attribution was invented to accurately measure the value and effect of each touchpoint throughout the digital journey, driving smarter marketing action. 

The closer that analytics lives to where it can be put into action, the more value can be extracted from it. At media agencies, analytics are at the heart of all of the action. Although analytics is a driving force in other areas of marketing, I have not seen it as closely tied to the day-to-day actions as I have seen in media. What this means is that a well-oiled media workflow exists to support the statisticians and strategists embedded within the planning teams -- allowing for more streamlined data-driven decision-making and ensuring timely actions based on results for clients.  

Take a look at your media agency…

So if you are considering digital attribution, or you are already doing it with a vendor or in-house solution, and you find yourself asking how you can get the most out of your insights, leverage the strengths of your media agency. Ask them for advice. Chances are they are best positioned to help get the most out of whatever solution you choose.