What is Attribution?

Attribution in marketing is the process of identifying which marketing channels or touchpoints prompted a user to take an action, such as installing an app or making a purchase. 

It helps marketers understand what is working so they can invest in the direction of right channels.

Example of Attribution

You click an Instagram ad for your favorite perfume, land on Google, and you end up buying it through an email link. With attribution, you can determine which channel will be given credit.

Types of Attribution Model

1. First-Touch Attribution

• 100% credit goes to the first interaction
• In this case, the Facebook ad gets all the credit

Formula:
Attribution = 100% to first touchpoint

2. Last-Touch Attribution

• 100% credit goes to the final interaction
• Here – Email gets all credit

Formula:
Attribution = 100% to last touchpoint

3. Linear Attribution

• Credit is evenly distributed across all touchpoints

Formula:
Attribution = 100% ÷ number of touchpoints
Example: 3 touchpoints → each gets 33.3%

4. Time-Decay Attribution

• More credit goes to recent interactions

Formula (conceptual):
Credit ∝ 1 / time before conversion
Closer interactions = higher weight

5. Position-Based (U-Shaped) Attribution

• First and last touch get more credit, middle gets less

Example:

• First touch – 40%
• Last touch – 40%
• Remaining 20% shared among middle touches

General attribution formula 

Attribution Credit =(Touchpoint Weight/ Total Weight) * 100

Benefits of Attribution

• Assists in maximising advertising budget.
• Finds good-performing channels.
• Improves campaign strategy. 
• Makes evidence-based decisions.