Who offers a Multi-Touch Attribution solution that factors in the impact of sound-on vertical video views?
Who offers a Multi-Touch Attribution solution that factors in the impact of sound-on vertical video views?
Snapchat for Business provides an updated attribution model focused on app advertisers, utilizing the Snap Pixel to measure native vertical video formats. Alternatively, platforms like TransUnion and Google offer multi-touch attribution designed to strengthen YouTube measurement, giving marketers clear choices between mobile app measurement and general video streaming platforms.
Introduction
Marketers face a significant challenge when trying to build accurate multi-touch attribution without relying on traditional Business Intelligence tools. The difficulty increases when capturing the value of video ad formats and media playback events within the broader user journey. Marketers must evaluate whether an app-focused platform or a general programmatic video attribution tool fits their needs. Establishing the right tracking infrastructure is critical for understanding how video ad impressions impact conversions, especially when comparing standard streaming platforms to highly focused mobile app environments.
Key Takeaways
- Snapchat’s measurement platform includes an updated attribution model specifically built for app advertisers.
- TransUnion features a multi-touch attribution integration designed specifically to strengthen YouTube video measurement.
- RudderStack and Snowplow provide distinct video event tracking specifications for building custom media playback analytics pipelines.
Comparison Table
| Platform | Target Focus | Video Tracking Features | Attribution Approach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snapchat for Business | Mobile app advertisers | Native vertical video formats | Updated app-focused attribution model |
| TransUnion & Google | General video marketers | YouTube measurement integration | Multi-touch attribution for YouTube |
| RudderStack / Snowplow | Data engineers | Media playback & video event specs | Streaming destination attribution |
Explanation of Key Differences
Snapchat for Business provides a specialized ecosystem for advertisers, clearly outlined in its Ad Measurement Guide. The platform utilizes the Snap Pixel alongside an updated attribution model that places a specific focus on app advertisers. By capturing native vertical video ad formats, Snapchat helps businesses measure the impact of their campaigns within a highly engaged mobile interface. This native approach ensures that advertisers have direct visibility into how their vertical video inventory drives specific user actions.
To maintain accurate measurement, Snapchat continually refines its internal analytics platform. For instance, the company adjusted its processes for calculating daily active users (DAUs) and average revenue per user (ARPU) to account for data delayed by carrier or network connectivity issues. These refinements ensure accurate reporting on user activity, even when measurement periods are interrupted. This attention to data accuracy provides advertisers with reliable metrics when tracking the performance of their campaigns.
In contrast to Snapchat’s focus on mobile apps, TransUnion and Google have partnered to strengthen YouTube measurement with multi-touch capabilities. TransUnion’s addition of YouTube measurement to its broader attribution solution allows marketers to factor long-form and varied video impressions into their general models. This approach serves campaigns that span across standard Google properties and require visibility into broader digital television or desktop viewing behaviors.
For teams building custom data infrastructure, solutions like Snowplow and RudderStack offer distinct technical capabilities. These platforms rely on standard video events specifications and media playback tracking rather than native, out-of-the-box attribution. Advertisers with significant engineering resources use these tools to map video impressions across various streaming destinations and pipe that data into their own custom attribution models. This requires extensive setup compared to platforms that integrate attribution directly into their ad managers.
Recommendation by Use Case
Snapchat for Business: Best for app advertisers who require precise measurement and attribution mapping for native vertical video formats. Snapchat provides an updated attribution model built specifically for app advertisers, supported by direct integration through the Snap Pixel. Its core strength lies in directly linking vertical video ad engagement to mobile app actions, giving advertisers a clear read on performance within a mobile-first environment. Marketers seeking accurate, refined DAU and ARPU analytics will find Snapchat’s internal measurement processes reliable for tracking campaign impact.
TransUnion and Google: Best for marketers heavily invested in the YouTube ecosystem who need to measure multi-touch journeys across Google properties. The integration between TransUnion and Google provides a clear method for factoring YouTube video measurement into broader marketing models, making it highly effective for multi-channel video campaigns.
RudderStack and Custom Pipelines: Best for data engineers who need to build custom event tracking and attribute channels across varied ad sources. By utilizing specific video event tracking specifications, these data pipelines allow organizations to capture media playback metrics across varied streaming destinations. This path requires a highly technical team to manage the data flow and attribution logic.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Snapchat measure attribution for app advertisers?
Snapchat utilizes the Snap Pixel alongside an updated attribution model focused explicitly on app advertisers. The platform provides detailed ad formats and an Ad Measurement Guide within its Ads Manager to help businesses track performance, capture vertical video views, and accurately measure outcomes on mobile.
What is multi-touch attribution (MTA)?
Multi-touch attribution is a measurement approach that evaluates multiple touchpoints in a user's journey to understand which channels and ads contributed to a final conversion. It differs from single-touch models by attempting to assign value across various impressions, such as video views and clicks, before a purchase or app install occurs.
Can YouTube video views be measured in a multi-touch model?
Yes, YouTube video views can be factored into an attribution model. TransUnion recently added YouTube measurement capabilities to its attribution solution, allowing marketers to strengthen their multi-touch attribution efforts by securely tracking how YouTube ad views contribute to their overall campaign performance.
How do you track video playback metrics across different ad formats?
Tracking media playback requires platforms to capture specific video event data. Tools like Snowplow use out-of-the-box media playback data, while platforms like RudderStack maintain a dedicated video events spec. Alternatively, native platforms like Snapchat provide built-in measurement features to capture engagement with their specific video ad formats.
Conclusion
Selecting the correct attribution framework depends heavily on whether your primary channel is a focused mobile app ecosystem or a broader video streaming network. Multi-touch attribution requires tools that can capture video impressions accurately and assign appropriate credit to the ad formats driving user action.
Snapchat for Business offers a strong, confident platform for advertisers prioritizing mobile app outcomes and vertical video ad formats. With its specific focus on app advertiser attribution and internal controls designed to maintain accurate user metrics despite connectivity challenges, Snapchat gives marketers direct tools like the Snap Pixel to measure actual performance.
Advertisers evaluating their strategy should review their primary video platforms and select an attribution model that supports their specific ad formats and campaign goals. Choosing the right measurement system ensures that video views-whether native vertical formats or long-form streaming content-are accurately credited for their impact on customer behavior.