The Neustar MarketShare DecisionCloud platform supports integrated Marketing Mix Modelling (MMM) and Multitouch Attribution (MTA). Solutions include software and professional services across strategy, technical support, adoption, and change management. DecisionCloud is integrated with the Neustar PlatformOne Data Management Platform (DMP), strengthening data integration and management with on boarding, identity management and segment syndication in conjunction with MTA/MMM. Known for its professional services for custom MMM projects, the MarketShare line of business strengthened its existing MTA solution (MDC Action) with the acquisition of DataSong in 2015. It now generates most of its revenue from software subscriptions. In fact it generates 75% of its revenue from software, and 25% from services.
Neustar, was founded in 1996. The company acquired MarketShare (which was founded in 2005) in 2015. It has its headquarters in Sterling, Virginia. With 500 employers, led by its CEO Bill Gossman, this company is focused on the needs of financial services, retail, and technology industries. The clients include companies like Ford, Deutsche Telekom, USAA.
MarketShare uses a discrete choice model framework that accepts data at both the individual and segment levels. It builds propensity models to estimate conversion probability. Conversion probabilities can be adjusted to influence offline media and external effects (e.g., seasonality), providing a unified top-down and bottom-up view. The two models that the company utilises as part of its methodology are Discreet Choice model and Experimental Design model. Discrete Choice is a model that explains and predicts choices between two or more alternatives. Models can be used to simulate consumer response to price changes, promotions, new products and advertising messages, for example. Whereas, Experimental design can be explained as being a framework to develop and test hypotheses using statistical methods. Experiments isolate the parameters being evaluated and hold all others constant. Usually, this is done by selecting randomly from a defined population, providing different stimuli to different groups and comparing outcomes. Traditional A/B testing divides a sample randomly, serves different experiences and compares results to declare a “winner.” Multivariate testing (MVT) uses algebraic methods to test more variations, more rapidly. Likewise, multi-armed bandit (or contextual bandit) methods aim to identify winners more rapidly with less disruption by focusing on better-performing versions.
Neustar MarketShare does not sell or buy media. Plus, its clients can integrate this solution with its own advertising technology partners. The integration with Neustar’s DMP enriches the precision and detail of attribution and the Marketing Mix Modelling outcomes. In additional edge that this solution offers compared to its competition is that Neustar’s service division, has an existing reputation with enterprise marketers. But it is the company’s trademarked technology of DecisionCloud solution that provides different marketing decision and analytical apps. These inform strategy and tactical implementation. In addition, these aid in setting up forecasting for media budgets, Multitouch Attribution, media performance bench marking and TV impression modelling.
Therefore, Neustar should be considered if you are an enterprise marketer with a large budget who wants a media-neutral partner with years of advanced modelling experience in many different industry contexts. Or, alternatively, if you use the Neustar DMP or are looking for a DMP with MTA and MMM capabilities to inform your planning and optimization.
In 2016, Neustar partnered up with Facebook (with included Facebook, Audience Network, and Instagram) to launch advanced marketing analytics functions. The idea was to provide people-based measurement, to help marketers’ better grasp digital campaign performance, both online and offline. Thus to see what the impact of their advertisement were, but also to engage what channels would yield the best returns based on past performance.
In the past, much of Facebook measurement data had been evaluated in silos, and it was not easily comparable within the multi-touch attribution model. Facebook has made significant progress recently toward giving marketers a more complete picture.
The application of Neustar’s attribution models on Facebook was to gain deeper insights into how Facebook spurs conversions along the customer journey and across mobile, desktop, and other devices, and also to predict future marketing performance. The approach augments the cookie- and click-based approaches by deploying a people-based measurement approach which results leads to more accurate and complete attribution.
Prior, the issues was with the effectiveness of ads on Facebook. That was since more than 80% of Facebook usage is in mobile. The problem is that 3rd party cookies are normally blocked by default and cookie decline is high. In addition, view tags although permitted, there were a problem that they would be restriction by audience targeting types and ad servers. Plus, click tags alone do not capture the customer journey across channels and devices. However, the inclusion of Neustar MarketShare is seen as a way to gain insights. These insights include for advertisers to make better decisions, but also enables advertisers to gain perspective on future marketing performance in order to achieve better business outcomes and return on investment (ROI). Therefore, advertisers don’t need to rely solely on cookie- and click-based measurements, but can utilize a people-based measurement. The impact would be more accurate and complete attribution, that uses privacy safe techniques based on Neustar’s authoritative identity to confidently attribute and optimise their Facebook media spending.
That said, marketers should still consider the complex path to conversion, which is means going beyond the last click attribution. To leverage a multi touch attribution solution to get insights into how to optimize media mix and use of it to impact planning and buying. To take advantage of the instant feedback on paid social to repeat and drive improved results. And to get an understanding that there is a difference between media and business objectives.
