Attribution. That’s been the buzzword of 2022-23.

After iOS14, Meta lost the ability to target as effectively. Enter multiple attribution and first-party pixel tools.

But, let’s admit it -- attribution is not a fun topic. There’s complicated terminology and complex models. Most of us are just looking for a quick cheat sheet to help figure this sh*t out and tell us which app to go with.

Well, here’s your quick and easy guide to attribution softwares.

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The main contenders

I am going to go over the 4 most popular attribution tools for Meta and help you understand each one’s philosophy, attribution model(s), audience, and channel support. 

• Northbeam
• Rockerbox
• Triple Whale
• Socioh

I will give a brief summary of each tool with a breakdown of pros and cons, followed by a comparison chart.

Before we get started

Not that familiar with attribution models and terminology? Here’s a super-easy 2-minute video with examples that will bring you up to speed.

Or check out our glossary of Attribution terms.

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Northbeam

Northbeam is a powerful eCommerce analytics platform with capabilities like pixel tracking, advanced machine learning, real-time data processing, customized reports, fine-grained filtering options, and predictive conversion-lift attribution.

Philosophy

Northbeam aims to be a “universal ad attribution platform” which tracks all the touchpoints in your customer’s journey. Its machine-learning algorithms offer predictive analysis to help brands scale profitably.

Preferred Model

Multi-touch, accrual, weighted.

Pricing

Starts at $300/month but goes up steeply based on monthly page views.‍

Pros

• Advanced multi-channel/device support (including connected TV etc.)
• Machine-learning based predictive analysis
• Hourly data refresh with real-time processing

Cons

• Complex interface and terminology
• Expensive, with no free version

‍<blue-low-highlight>My take <blue-low-highlight>

Northbeam may be the best solution for large-scale or enterprise brands due to its advanced predictive analytics, multi-channel support, and sophisticated tooling. 

However, the interface is pretty complex and may be hard to use for smaller businesses and advertisers. Most small or medium-sized businesses probably don’t need such advanced tooling and channel support. Also, it does cost a LOT.

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Rockerbox

Rockerbox offers an advanced CMO dashboard consolidating data across offline and online campaigns. It has sophisticated tooling for measuring MMM (Media Mix  Modelling), incrementality, geo lift, halo analysis, and other advanced metrics.

Philosophy

Rockerbox aims to provide a single platform to help C-level decision-makers get a bird’s eye view of their cross-channel marketing distribution and performance.

Preferred Model

Multi-touch, accrual, weighted.

Pricing

Plans start at $150/month. They do offer a free tier but this does not include their first-party pixel.

Pros

• Comprehensive cross-platform attribution
• Real-time reporting
• Deep integration with data sources like CRM systems, etc.

Cons

• Steep learning curve & long onboarding time
• Pretty expensive as price is based on number of events tracked

<blue-low-highlight>My take <blue-low-highlight>

Like Northbeam, Rockerbox is a great choice for larger brands with more complex needs. It is more suitable for a Chief Marketing Officer whose job it is to make mixed media decisions than for a media buyer looking to tactically manage daily campaigns.

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Triple Whale

Triple Whale is a popular solution that offers creative reporting, customer journeys, a customizable dashboard, cohort segmentation, and affiliate tracking. The company has released a slew of AI-based tools in March/April 2023. It’s a little to early to comment on the utility of these tools.

Philosophy

Triple Whale’s goal is to be a complete eCommerce solution to manage all your business analytics in a unified, easy-to-use dashboard.

Preferred Model

Triple whale’s prefered model of attribution is the Triple Pixel model - simply put, this is the last click at a channel level. This gives full credit to the last ad click per ad channel in the customer's journey. This means that the same transaction may be counted multiple times across channels. Triple Whale prefers cash-based reporting but support accrual-based reporting as well.

Pricing

Basic plans start at $100 but that actual cost for pixel+attribution works out closer to $300

Pros

• User-friendly interface
• Customizable dashboard
• Creative reporting

Cons

• No weighted model across campaigns & channels - this makes is 
• Triple Pixel model is simplistic and undervalues the first touch
• Feature-based pricing pushes up the cost fast
• Some users have reported that it can be buggy

<blue-low-highlight>My take <blue-low-highlight>

Triple Whale has a nice, clean interface with a customizable dashboard that is easy to understand. I also like their creative reporting feature, which makes ad-related decision-making faster.

While I like the fact that the Triple Attribution model allows me to focus on the value of individual channels, my concern is that the actual, practical value of each campaign may not be fully understood in this model. The lack of a weighted model makes it hard to get a sense of the actual ROAS per campaign, and the first-touch (which creates brand awareness) is largely ignored.

Overall, it’s pixel data is very similar to Google analytics and it’s hard to justify the cost. 

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Socioh

Unlike the other platforms we have discussed, Socioh is an all-in-one digital ads platform for eCommerce brands. It is also the only platform to offer a free-first-party pixel to all Shopify users.

Philosophy

Socioh aims to be a complete solution for small-to-medium eCommerce brands advertising on Meta. It offers advanced product feed management, data-driven campaigns, and easy-to-understand analytics‍

Preferred Model

Multi-touch, accrual, weighted.

Pricing

Plans starts at $149 for the complete platform with a 60-day money-back guarantee. The first-party pixel and related analytics are available for free for Shopify stores.

Pros

• Free first-party pixel and analytics
• AI-based budget recommendations based on campaign performance
• Detailed creative reporting
• Easy to create data-driven campaigns with tips and help
• Bonus - Customized product feed to boost DABA/DPA performance

Cons

• No support for marketplaces or channels like connected TV etc.
• Does not include advanced tooling like MMM or incrementaility

<blue-low-highlight>My take <blue-low-highlight>

Socioh’s attribution tools are ideal for brands doing mid-8 figures or less in annual revenue. Whereas Socioh doesn’t include sophisticated attribution tooling like MMM and incrementality testing needed by enterprise brands, it is ideal founders or in-house media buyers who wear multiple hats. It really simplifies day to day media mangement and budget decisions.

As a bonus, Socioh also offers other tools for in-house advertisers to create and run profitable ads. These include powerful product feed customization, data-driven campaign recommendations and a creative management tool.

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Comparison Table

Hope you found this useful. Check out a detailed video about how to think about attribution and attribution tools here.

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