Despite the evolution of sophisticated attribution models (where digital marketers can tap into a number of touch points in the customer journey), the majority of Australia’s digital marketing practitioners remain mired in simplistic last click approaches, according to a recently published study.
According to the authors of AdRoll’s “State of the Industry” report, six out of 10 marketers assert that attribution is critical or very important. However, almost as many (52 per cent) still employ a single (last click) method.
And, say the authors, “Disconcertingly, 39 per cent of marketers are now attributing only 10 to 24 per cent of conversions to view-throughs; the number of marketers attributing over 50 per cent of their conversions to view-throughs is a mere 12 per cent.”
On the upside, however, the proportion of marketers using multiple touch-point attribution is now growing towards a majority — up from only 36 per cent last year.
Mobility also features strongly in the report. A majority of marketers (51 per cent) say they will increase their mobile-advertising budget this year. “This speaks to the importance of reaching people where they’re spending more and more time: on mobile devices,” according to the researchers.
But there’s a sting in the data.
“In many ways, marketers are outpacing the business realities,” according to the report. “For example, 24 per cent of marketers still don’t have a mobile app and 21 per cent still don’t have a mobile-optimised site. Some advertisers find that the user experience of mobile advertising continues to be a hindrance, with 27 per cent stating that it’s their biggest stumbling block.”
Programmatic
While programmatic is a fairly new practice in terms of years, the authors argue that marketers have fully embraced the programmatic era. As evidence, they point to the 92 per cent of marketers who are planning for their programmatic budgets to increase or stay the same over 2016, and 55 per cent of marketers who are seeing greater return through programmatic ads compared to traditional media buying.
According to Ben Sharp, managing director APAC AdRoll, “Marketing is becoming more and more technology driven and marketers are being held to higher standards of measurement and accountability than ever before. The results from this survey make it clear that 2016 is staged to be a massive year for digital advertising, and that marketers understand the importance of being able to accurately report on digital campaigns and want to learn how to do it better.”
