New York-based C3 Metrics, a media analytics company, and New York-based Magnetic, the search retargeting company, last week announced a strategic alliance to track search impressions and better analyze the path consumers take through to conversion. The combined goal is to influence decisions before consumers choose a brand preference.
Additionally, executives with both companies say they can use this new data to inform cross-channel strategies for future campaigns.
Although every campaign has a unique attribution model, the two highest-performing forms of online advertisements are often search engine marketing and retargeting. However, if marketers are only looking at the last click, they may be missing vital keyword search history and cross-channel assists that contributed to the consumer’s decision to buy or convert.
Magnetic CEO Josh Shatkin-Margolis told RetargetingNews that C3 is focused on a “pre-funnel attribution” model to determine which ads are driving traffic and how they work.
“Giving credit to the search engine or retargeting company that delivered the last ad is like giving credit to the checkout person of a supermarket for all of the cereal sold in the US,” explained Shatkin-Margolis.
“In both situations the search engine and the checkout person simply assisted the user with their request. Through the partnership with C3 Metrics, we will now be able to gain insight into search keywords and the value each word plays across the consumer funnel. Ultimately, the insights gained through search retargeting leads to better optimization for our clients’ campaigns.”
“For the first time, we are able to look at pre-funnel behaviors and how decisions are influenced before a consumer even enters the conversion funnel. It’s revolutionary, and it will add a new layer of actionable insight into marketing optimization,” said Mark Hughes, CEO of C3 Metrics.
Shatkin-Margolis told RetargetingNews that search marketing is a $20 billion industry, “and 100 percent of those ads are keyword targeted.” Since using search engines represents only 2 percent of the typical user’s online usage time, “we think it’s extremely valuable to take the data to the other 98 percent.”
Magnetic is the search data partner for more than 100 agencies, ad networks and DSPs.
