Stop talking about attribution modelling!

Aaargh! I need to blow off some steam and if I’m alone with this, I apologize for making you curious about, what all the yelling is for!

So why am I yelling?, well I’ve just finished a conference call, between me, a client and a self-proclaimed data-driven, machine-learning, AI specialized marketing agency.

I know what you are thinking! AI and machine learning are not separate concepts, but who cares. Using the words impress people, so let’s not go down that road… especially since I accidently just did and educating someone in this, did not improve my life one single bit, so… there that. Anyway!

Yes, I may have had to high expectancies, but I tend to assume that people know what they talk about, so I was actually looking forward to hearing about this agency’s specialized data driven attribution model, that they build in house to optimize how they help their clients.

My current mood after this conference call is an unaccustomed need to throw something out the window in frustration. Being able to use fancy words, while talking about attribution modelling seems to be the enough to call yourself an expert, which seems to both fascinate and depress me at the same time.

I promise not to take to much of your time, so let me just yell this out!

NO! aggregated data is not as good as hit-level data

YES! data accuracy matters even if when deviations are small

NO! it’s not easy

YES! it’s extremely valuable when done CORRECT

NO! it’s not impossible

YES! I get why you prefer to sell the service you have already build

I get that working with multiple data sources, building data lakes and doing advanced BI is new to many, but it’s definitely double and if you actually believe that being data driven is advantageous, then stop talking and start doing!