Explainer: Multichannel Attribution

What It Is: Multichannel attribution is the analysis and weighting of valid influences on the sales funnel across multiple channels of advertising. Channels in the ad industry refer to the medium of advertising that is being used, such as display or search. The “funnel” is the process through which a potential consumer is converted into a buyer. Each stage of that funnel which leads a customer towards purchase may have many elements which contribute in equal or disproportionate amounts to the end goal of a click-through towards a purchase or a meaningful brand interaction. Early in the history of online advertising the emphasis was on the source of the “last click” which led the consumer towards purchase. This perspective discounted the influence of much of the digital ecosystem which may have contributed significantly to a consumer’s decision to purchase. Marketers are now looking at methods of analyzing “pre-preference” influencers among various channels — ad experiences or social media input which primes customers to receive a brand’s message and eventually spark an affinity that becomes an engagement or purchase action.