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Brand Campaign Attribution

Source Medium’s MTA system handles brand campaigns differently from non-brand campaigns. This document explains how brand campaigns are treated in attribution models and how to interpret their data.

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What Are Brand Campaigns?

Brand campaigns are marketing initiatives that target users already familiar with your brand, typically using branded search terms, remarketing audiences, or other brand-specific targeting methods. Common examples include:
  • Google Search ads for your company name
  • Meta ads targeted at your page’s followers
  • Anything considered to boost brand awareness.
We derive brand campaigns from the campaign naming convention. If your campaign name contains “brand”, we will automatically categorize it as a brand campaign.

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How Brand Campaigns Are Handled in MTA

In Source Medium’s MTA system, brand campaigns are treated with special rules:

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1. Zero Attribution Credit

  • Brand campaigns appear in performance data but receive zero attribution credit
  • The attribution metrics (first-touch, last-touch, linear) are all set to zero
  • This prevents over-attribution to brand terms customers would search for anyway

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2. Complete Performance Metrics

  • All campaign metadata, spend, impressions, and clicks are preserved
  • This allows complete performance reporting alongside attribution metrics
  • You can see exactly how much you’re spending on brand campaigns

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3. Attribution Redistribution

  • Attribution credit that would have gone to brand campaigns is redistributed to non-brand touchpoints
  • This provides a more accurate picture of which marketing activities truly drive incremental business

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Brand Campaign Identification

Campaigns are identified as brand campaigns when:
  1. Campaign tactic is explicitly set to “brand” (ad_campaign_tactic = 'brand')
  2. Campaign name contains “brand” but not “non-brand”
  3. For search campaigns, when using branded search terms

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Analyzing Brand Campaign Performance

While brand campaigns don’t receive attribution credit, they remain important to analyze:

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Metrics to Monitor

  • Traditional Performance: Clicks, impressions, CTR
  • Cost Efficiency: Cost per click, CPM
  • Platform-Reported Metrics: Conversions and revenue as reported by the platform
  • Competitors Bidding: Whether competitors are targeting your brand terms

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Example Queries

-- Brand vs. Non-Brand Campaign Performance
SELECT
  CASE 
    WHEN lower(ad_campaign_tactic) = 'brand' THEN 'Brand' 
    ELSE 'Non-Brand' 
  END as campaign_type,
  SUM(ad_spend) as total_spend,
  SUM(ad_impressions) as total_impressions,
  SUM(ad_clicks) as total_clicks,
  SUM(ad_platform_reported_conversions) as platform_conversions,
  SUM(ad_platform_reported_revenue) as platform_revenue,
  SUM(sm_first_touch_revenue) as attributed_revenue,
  SAFE_DIVIDE(SUM(sm_first_touch_revenue), SUM(ad_spend)) as attributed_roas
FROM `sm-{{account_id}}.sm_transformed_v2_ad_attribution_performance_daily`
WHERE 
  sm_store_id = 'your-sm_store_id'
  AND date BETWEEN DATE_SUB(CURRENT_DATE(), INTERVAL 30 DAY) AND CURRENT_DATE()
GROUP BY 1
ORDER BY 1

-- Brand Campaign Metrics Over Time
SELECT
  DATE_TRUNC(date, MONTH) as month,
  SUM(ad_spend) as brand_spend,
  SUM(ad_impressions) as brand_impressions,
  SUM(ad_clicks) as brand_clicks,
  SAFE_DIVIDE(SUM(ad_clicks), SUM(ad_impressions)) as ctr,
  SAFE_DIVIDE(SUM(ad_spend), SUM(ad_clicks)) as cpc
FROM `sm-{{account_id}}.sm_transformed_v2_ad_attribution_performance_daily`
WHERE 
  sm_store_id = 'your-sm_store_id'
  AND lower(ad_campaign_tactic) = 'brand'
  AND date >= DATE_SUB(CURRENT_DATE(), INTERVAL 6 MONTH)
GROUP BY 1
ORDER BY 1

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Business Implications

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Why Brand Campaigns Receive Zero Attribution

  1. Incremental Value: Brand campaigns often target users who would have found you anyway
  2. Last-Click Bias: Brand campaigns typically occur late in the customer journey
  3. Budget Allocation: Attributing to brand campaigns can lead to overinvestment in non-incremental marketing

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When Brand Campaigns Matter

Despite receiving zero attribution credit, brand campaigns can still be valuable:
  • Competitive Defense: Protecting your brand terms from competitors
  • Return Path Creation: Providing an easy way back for customers considering your brand
  • Remarketing Efficiency: Re-engaging visitors who showed previous interest

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Balanced Approach to Brand Campaigns

Source Medium’s approach allows you to:
  1. See Complete Data: All brand campaign performance metrics are visible
  2. Make Informed Decisions: Compare platform-reported vs. attributed metrics
  3. Proper Budget Allocation: Invest in truly incremental marketing while maintaining appropriate brand presence

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Customizing Brand Campaign Handling

If your business has unique requirements for brand campaign attribution, Source Medium can implement custom rules. Some options include:
  • Partial Attribution: Allowing brand campaigns to receive some attribution credit
  • Custom Brand Definition: Refining what constitutes a “brand” campaign for your business
  • Advanced Models: Implementing incrementality testing or other advanced attribution approaches
Contact your SourceMedium account manager to discuss customization options that might be right for your business.