The Future of Measurement: Q&A with Eoin O’Neill, Chief Technical Officer, Tug
In this exclusive Q&A, Eoin O’Neill, chief technical officer at Tug, talks to ExchangeWire about the changes taking place in digital marketing measurement and what advertisers can do to adapt to these.
How do you see digital marketing measurement changing in the next year?
Major changes are needed in mindset and approach. Almost since the start, digital marketing has taken a relatively simplistic full-funnel approach to measuring consumer journeys and advertising performance. This has been heavily influenced by the perception of online media as providing better measurability and precision than offline media, especially for paid efforts.
This was considered a positive evolution that brought marketing closer to an exact science. A prime example being frequent comparisons between detailed digital accuracy and linear TV, which traditionally only allowed advertisers to drive general brand awareness. Now, however, shifts across the measurement landscape are making deep granularity hard to sustain.
To take measurement to the next level, the industry must move towards a more nuanced understanding of user behaviour, intent, and engagement, using known outcomes. One way to think of it is the difference between applying physics on earth — assessing defined and tangible objects — and how things are measured in space (with scientists tapping into varied data sources, running tests and creating models for how the universe probably works). In short, it’s about shifting from exactitude to likelihood, backed by smart insight.
Eoin O’Neill, chief technical officer, Tug
