#lastclickRIP – Are we right to kill off last click?

As the center piece our upcoming event “The Attribution Dilemma” we have been toying with the idea of finding a literal way of actually killing off last click. 

It’s always difficult trying to find a physical solution to a metaphysical concept. However, it is something we feel strongly about so we are determined to find a way (possibly using a big paper cursor, 3D Printing and a Flamethrower.)

For ten years last click has been slowly bedding itself in as the best way to simply and effectively measure performance and, importantly, remunerate media owners. It also offered a level of accountability.But it has become a crutch giving support to a rotting appendage that needs to be removed and replaced if marketers are to drive better ROI from their online activity.

Digital spend in the UK is now 34 times what it was in 2000, that’s £5.6bn. However, the online experience and correspondingly people’s online behaviour has becoming increasingly complex.

Technology and digital analytics skills and capability have advanced almost beyond recognition so measuring the efficacy of digital activity using last click in this day and age is quite simply put, wrong.

There is an argument raging around Attribution. It isn’t about whether attribution offers a better way to understand digital performance – it’s about which attribution methodology provides the best approach.

Methodologies fall broadly into three categories; Fixed, Manual and Algorithmic Attribution. Each approach has benefits and pitfalls for advertisers – no one approach can possibly be right for all circumstances, all levels of investment or levels of measurement. I could bang on for pages about the pros and cons of the different approaches. I won’t.

I could, but I won’t.

But a good rule of thumb when looking at the best approach for you is to find one that quickly delivers insight and maximises your spend. A simple linear attribution report can sometimes be as effective as a dynamic data intensive evidence based system.

It’s all about what you do with the insight that the approach delivers – and how that is managed by your agency. This is where having digital expertise in the same building as your insights and planning teams can really drive the success of the attribution model.

What is clear though is that clients need to work out, and quickly, which one of these approaches works for them.

None of them offer 100% accuracy, but they are less wrong than last click. With DFA and Google Analytics now offering free model based methodologies, everyone can access this method of measurement. By using this we can make Attribution the norm and finally kill last click.

We know that #lastclickRIP is the right thing to do. We agree that attribution is the way forward and that different approaches are required for different circumstances.

Let’s get the deed over with and then focus our energy and efforts on the next challenges such as accurate cross-device tracking. To join the debate follow the #lastclickRIP hastag next Thursday from 4pm till 7pm or join here the thoughts of Google and Adobe, among others, and attend our Attribution Dilemma event. 

@paul_framp