Nederlands 
English Marketing Mix Modeling
vs multi-touch attribution
Multi-touch attribution analyses the digital customer journey. Marketing Mix Modeling analyses all channels on incrementality. This is the difference and the choice.
The path versus the whole
Multi-touch attribution follows the path of a conversion and distributes value across the digital touchpoints it passed through. It works at the user level and stays within the digital world.
Marketing Mix Modeling does not look at paths but at the whole. It analyses aggregated spend and revenue over time, and estimates per channel the incremental contribution, including offline.
MMM versus multi-touch attribution
The differences that determine which method answers your question.
| Multi-touch attribution | Marketing Mix Modeling | |
|---|---|---|
| Level | Individual customer journey | Aggregated spend and revenue |
| Channel coverage | Digital touchpoints only | Online and offline, including TV and radio |
| Incrementality | Distributes claimed conversions | Estimates the actual incremental contribution |
| Cookies | Relies on cross-channel tracking | Works on aggregated data, no cookies required |
| Assumptions | Allocation rule is a choice | Statistical model, tested against reality |
| Long term | Limited view | Models adstock and saturation |
| Best use | Comparing digital campaigns | Allocating budget across all channels |
When do you choose which?
Multi-touch attribution is useful for comparing digital campaigns against each other and understanding the digital customer journey. The limit lies at offline media, at incrementality and at the declining reliability without cookies.
For budget decisions across your entire media mix, based on actual contribution, Marketing Mix Modeling is the appropriate method. For the rapid campaign signals that MMM misses, Datafy combines it with first-party attribution.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between MMM and multi-touch attribution?
Multi-touch attribution distributes a conversion across digital touchpoints in the customer journey. MMM analyses aggregated data across all channels, including offline, and estimates the incremental contribution per channel.
Does multi-touch attribution measure incrementality?
No. Multi-touch distributes conversions that have been registered, regardless of whether that conversion would have occurred without the channel. MMM estimates precisely that incremental contribution.
Is MMM better than multi-touch attribution?
It depends on the question. For budget allocation across online and offline, MMM is better. For comparing digital campaigns against each other, multi-touch can be useful. They answer different questions.
Which method is resistant to the disappearance of cookies?
MMM, because it works on aggregated data. Multi-touch attribution relies on cross-channel tracking and becomes less reliable as third-party cookies disappear.
Measure your entire mix, not just the path.
Book a demo and see how Datafy evaluates all channels on incrementality.