How to use Analogies to Explain Marketing Attribution

• Multi-Touch Marketing Attribution Analogy - Example One

  1. Imagine your favorite soccer team scoring a goal. Like closed won deals, those goals are really hard to come by!

  2. While the goal scorer often seems to get most of the love (100% of the credit), there were likely other aspects (touchpoints) from critical team members along the way that led to that goal being scored!

  3. But before the goal was scored:

- Our center back made a clean slide tackle on the opponent to win back possession

- After feeding the ball to the outside midfielder, they beat two opponents down the sideline to get a cross into the box

- A teammate unselfishly makes a run near post to free up space

- This leaves the goal scorer without a defender at the back post with just enough time and space to score the goal (or win the deal!)

• Linear Marketing Attribution Analogy - Example Two

  1. Imagine you're in your favorite furniture store in the market for a leather sectional couch. You know this is a place where the sales reps make commission.

  2. You come on a Saturday afternoon and a gentleman named John shows you a few of their finest leather couches. You're super appreciative of John's help & information but after sitting on a few couches you're overwhelmed and tell John you will have to come back on Tuesday.

  3. Tuesday come and you return to the furniture store and ask for John. You've been informed John had to call out sick today but Sally is here to help. So after looking at a few more couches, Sally has a recommendation and you love fall in love. This is the couch. You call your significant other to inform them you are going to make the purchase but hold on...

  4. They say, 'no way! Not without me trying it out first!'. Fair enough so you inform Sally you'll have to come back on Sunday.

  5. Sunday comes around and turns out, neither Sally nor John work on Sundays! So Sarah steps in to show you the couch you fell in love with. Turns out, that's the feeling isn't mutual between you and your significant other. It's not the comfort that's an issue, it's the color of the couch itself! Sarah steps in to let the couple know, as long as they are willing to wait a few extra weeks, they can get the color they want. At that point, they both agree and the sale is made. Sarah officially processes the paperwork!

All three sales reps equally helped make the sale in their own way and therefore will split the commission three ways! (equal credit given)