Why full-funnel measurement is key to linking sentiment and sales
Understanding exactly how consumer perception translates into direct purchasing behavior has historically been a difficult exercise. While traditional brand lift studies show if a campaign moves the needle on awareness or intent, they rarely confirm if those shifts result in real-world actions.
We’re at a moment in time where advertisers need an integrated standard of measurement more than ever before.
As part of our ongoing examination of the importance of outcomes measurement, this article sees a trio of Cint experts explain how pairing brand lift with sales lift provides a unified, full-funnel view—eliminating guesswork and giving brands the insights to connect human sentiment with measurable business growth.
Investigating the heart-to-wallet pipeline
Attaching sales lift metrics to brand lift studies provides direct links between brand perception and actual, evidenced purchasing behavior.
After all, brand lift on its own shows if a campaign is shifting attitudes (which may include awareness or intent) but it doesn’t necessarily confirm if those shifts translate into sales. People might say they intend to buy, but they don’t always follow through.
“Sales lift fills that gap by connecting upper-funnel impact to real business outcomes. Brands can see if improvements in brand metrics are reflected in downstream behaviors like conversion or repeat purchases.”
Marija Gaspar
Data Science Manager, Cint
“Sales lift fills that gap by connecting upper-funnel impact to real business outcomes,” says Data Science Manager, Marija Gaspar. “Brands can see if improvements in brand metrics are reflected in downstream behaviors like conversion or repeat purchases.”
Fundamentally it helps answer a big question: Did people think differently about the brand, and did that translate into measurable growth?
Pairing brand lift and sales lift offers a unified standard of measurement. In the words of Cint’s Olivia Arty (Senior Manager, Measurement) we can think of it as a ‘heart to wallet’ metric.
“Connecting perceptions to actual human behavior has historically been virtually impossible to do. You either had to take two different studies and try to cobble them together, or wait a year to understand what worked through a large MMM study,” Arty says.
“Having this unified measurement eliminates the guesswork, speeds up the process to insights, and allows clients to move at the speed of their campaigns.”
As Kate Crandall (Principal Product Manager, Measurement) explains, the value of having accessible sales lift data, and being able to tie it into brand lift results, lies in the ability to segment performance:
“We are working on sifting and sorting based on both data sets. I want to be able to see the conversion rate among brand-aware people, or the sales lift among loyalists versus repeat customers,” says Crandall.
“Drilling down based on both sentiment and behavior allows a brand to characterize exactly where they are winning. Brands have limited ‘room in the wallet’ for investment, so they need this data to make informed decisions.”
How emotive storytelling impacts sales lift
While every campaign is unique (in terms of execution and expected results), certain strategies are uniquely predisposed to delivering impact across the entire funnel.
We wanted our experts to opine on the types of campaigns, and indeed industries, that are most likely to drive both brand and sales lift successfully.
Gaspar is of the belief that those focused on “big moments” like major seasonal events or product launches may conceivably see the best results.
She gives an example from the tech industry. “When Apple releases a new iPhone, it drives brand lift through massive reach and storytelling, but it also drives sales lift because of immediate availability and clear upgrade paths. Hype and widespread attention combined with an easy path to purchase usually perform best across both metrics.”
For Arty, truly successful campaigns — campaigns that push forward on both fronts — are ones that understand who the brand is, feature creative that resonates with the audience, reaches the right person at the right time, and has a follow-up tactic that allows the customer to buy or sign up.
Then there’s the importance of emotive storytelling.
“People yearn for connection,” she says, “If a brand can find that emotional connection, it leads to repeat purchases. It will be a mix of upper-funnel and lower-funnel tactics. That’s why it’s important to have this full-funnel view so advertisers can understand what they need to do to reach their goals regardless of where they are in the funnel.”
“People yearn for connection, If a brand can find that emotional connection, it leads to repeat purchases. It will be a mix of upper-funnel and lower-funnel tactics. That’s why it’s important to have this full-funnel view so advertisers can understand what they need to do to reach their goals regardless of where they are in the funnel.”
Olivia Arty
Senior Manager, Measurement, Cint
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