Whatever Happened to Precise DM Measurement

Define two or more different rule sets, and ask your analysts to run each set on your historical data, Gaito advises. This provides a chance to look at the net impact of each rule. “Although this approach may be time-consuming,” he says, “if you’re using the matchback results to drive future channel expenditures, it’s time well spent.”

Intelligent Rules Rule
If you’re diligent in collecting and storing contact data, emerging multichannel matchback technologies can do a great job of matching sales to all of the media that could’ve caused the sale. Without intelligent business rules and a long-term view of the data, they’re less effective at telling catalogers precisely which media or interactions of media caused the sale.

The trick is to develop sets of business rules and test them against your business realities over time — and continue to experiment. As you do this, your complicated multichannel business will become more measurable, improvable and expandable.

Mark Swedlund is a partner and senior vice president of Haggin Marketing, a Mill Valley, Calif.-based direct marketing services agency. He’s an author and frequent speaker on direct response topics. You can reach him at (415) 289-1110 or via e-mail at marks@hagginmarketing.com.