Dive Brief:

• Google launched Google Attribution, a measurement tool designed to allow marketers to track campaign success across devices and channels, in limited beta in May and announced on Oct. 19 it was expanding the beta test to hundreds of advertisers via an AdWords blog post.
• The data-driven attribution element in Google Attribution leverages machine learning, helping deliver more conversion at a similar cost-per-conversion than last-click attribution, per the company. 
• Google Attribution beta customers, including HelloFresh, Pixers and eDreams Odigeo, were able to improve performance across channels.

Dive Insight:

The news is an example of how machine learning is helping marketers process more data and at a faster pace, enabling them to deepen insights. Applying machine learning to attribution as most marketing campaigns these days go beyond something as simple as a display ad on a website to include ads on multiple devices and across multiple marketing channels, meaning last-click attribution typically does not tell the full story. An example would be someone might view an ad campaign in a mobile app and as a pre-roll video spot but not click on the ad until later while sitting at a desktop after seeing a display ad from the campaign. In this case, the display ad would get the last-click attribution even though the other two spots contributed to that final conversion.

The AdWords post highlights results from the initial beta test of Google Attribution, such as meal delivery service HelloFresh seeing a 10% lift in conversions after measuring across search, display and email channels. The brand is using the tool to automate integrated cross-channel bidding through its AdWords search campaigns, said Karl Villanueva Head of Paid Search & Display, HelloFresh, in a statement. The cross-channel insights allow HelloFresh to optimize keyword and query performance based on what works for each channel rather than focusing on last-click events.

Pixers has cut the cost-per-acquisition while acquiring more new customers by using Google Attribution to optimize its shopping and re-marketing campaigns and roll out smart bidding strategies across more campaigns. 

Online travel company eDreams Odigeo is gaining a better understanding of its customers' path to purchase across channels and where customers start their discovery process and where they complete a purchase.