Coremetrics Poll Finds Marketers Unable to Track, Justify Online Advertising Programs

Marketers Skeptical of ROI on Display and Web 2.0 Campaigns

News Summary

Coremetrics, the leading provider of online marketing and business optimization solutions, recently polled more than 100 marketers from large to midsize online retail companies about their ability to track and justify their display and Web 2.0 campaigns.

--  52% said they were either not sure, somewhat skeptical or completely
    unconvinced display advertising and/or Web 2.0 initiatives justify their
    cost
--  49% said it was somewhat difficult to impossible to justify display
    advertising and Web 2.0 budgets to their management team
--  68% said it was somewhat to very difficult to collect and combine
    performance data from multiple sources (web analytics, display ad network,
    behavioral targeting network)
    

Quotes

John Squire, chief strategy officer, Coremetrics

"With fewer dollars to spend, marketers are under increasing pressure to measure their online campaigns and justify budgets based on results. At the same time, consumers are taking more time to complete transactions online and are exposed to multiple marketing campaigns before converting.

"What's missing is the ability to understand online visitor behavior and conversion patterns so marketers can make informed, confident decisions about where to allocate their budgets. Coremetrics solves that problem with Impression Attribution, tying online marketing exposure to website behavior."

Eric T. Peterson, Web Analytics Demystified

"Despite a decade of advances in web analytics, campaign analysis and the challenge of LAST-based attribution continue to challenge even the most sophisticated marketers," says Eric T. Peterson, CEO of Web Analytics Demystified, Inc. "In my experience far too few companies invested in analytics today are even aware of the attribution problem, much less actively doing something about it."

Detailed Results

1. Which of the following initiatives has your organization been pursuing?
   (Check all that apply)*
   a. Display advertising           90%
   b. Search advertising            72%
   c. Syndicated videos              9%
   d. Widgets                       21%
   e. Micro-sites                   41%
   f. Email                         77%
   g. Affiliates                    31%
   h. Mobile                        22%
   i. Other                         17%
   *number of respondents = 112

2. How convinced are you that your display advertising and/or Web 2.0
   initiatives justify their costs? (Check one)*
   a. Completely convinced           7%
   b. Somewhat convinced            41%
   c. Not sure                      42%
   d. Somewhat skeptical             8%
   e. Completely unconvinced         2%
   *number of respondents = 105

3. How easy is it to justify the display advertising and Web 2.0 budget
   to your management team? (Check one)*
   a. Very easy                      7%
   b. Somewhat easy                 17%
   c. Neutral                       27%
   d. Somewhat difficult            39%
   e. Very difficult / impossible   10%
   *number of respondents = 122

4. How easy is it to collect and combine performance data from multiple
   sources (such as web analytics vendor, display ad network, behavioral
   targeting network)? (Check one)*
   a. Very easy                      3%
   b. Somewhat easy                 14%
   c. Neutral / not sure            16%
   d. Somewhat difficult            39%
   e. Very difficult                29%
   *number of respondents = 119

Methodology

The above data is drawn from a survey Coremetrics conducted on March 11, 2009. Coremetrics polled 186 marketers about how they are able to track and justify their display and Web 2.0 campaigns. The number of responses to each question is given above (*number of respondents).

Coremetrics Impression Attribution

Coremetrics Impression Attribution is a first of its kind ad-hoc reporting solution that helps optimize impression-based marketing initiatives. The solution analyzes how campaigns across the Internet influence website visitor acquisition, conversion and retention.

Related Links

Webinar: Unlock the True ROI of Your Display Ads

Webinar: Effectively Managing Your Online Marketing Mix with Advanced Attribution

Whitepaper: Appropriate Attribution, by Eric T. Peterson, Web Analytics Demystified

Research Report: A Framework For Multicampaign Attribution Measurement, by John Lovett, Forrester Research, Feb. 19, 2009

Request Impression Attribution Data Sheet

Images

Impression Attribution Screen Capture

John Squire Headshot

About Coremetrics

Coremetrics is the leading provider of online marketing and business optimization solutions. Its products help businesses increase revenues and find and retain their most profitable customers by maximizing every online interaction. More than 1,500 online brands globally, transacting more than $20 billion this year, use Coremetrics' Software as a Service (SaaS) to optimize their online marketing. Coremetrics' solutions encompass advanced online analytics and integrated precision marketing applications, including search engine bid management, email targeting and cross sell recommendations to acquire customers more cost effectively, increase conversion rates, and increase lifetime customer value. Coremetrics is consistently recognized by industry analysts and thought leaders, and in 2008 was named to Deloitte's Technology Fast 50 Program for Silicon Valley Internet, Media, Entertainment and Communications companies. The company is privately held with funding from 3i, Accel Partners, FTV Capital and Highland Capital Partners, and is headquartered in San Mateo, California.

To learn more about Coremetrics, visit www.coremetrics.com or call 866-493-2673.

Coremetrics has strongly supported online privacy since its inception. To learn more, visit www.coremetrics.com/privacy.

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