

Nerd Alert: The Problem with Last-Touch Attribution
Feb 27, 2025
Discover the pitfalls of last-touch attribution and how it skews marketing decisions, leading to poor ad valuations. The hosts delve into game theory’s impact on marketing, presenting Shapely value attribution as a fairer method for credit distribution among various ad exposures. They discuss how publishers benefit from current models, while exploring why sometimes having no attribution could outperform last-touch strategies. Gain insights that could drive smarter marketing strategies and improve ROI!
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Last-Touch Attribution: Simplicity vs. Accuracy
- Last-touch attribution simplifies measurement but provides an incomplete picture.
- It doesn't account for all touchpoints influencing conversions.
Last-Touch Attribution's Negative Impact
- Last-touch attribution overvalues certain ads, leading to poor bidding decisions.
- The study uses game theory to analyze its impact on advertiser profits and publisher revenue.
Publishers' Advantage with Last-Touch
- Last-touch attribution overvalues ads appearing just before conversion, inflating costs.
- Publishers benefit from this while advertisers see lower profits due to overspending.