Vault Study Confirms Measurement Gap in Software-Based Attribution

Vault GTM Research & Consulting, a B2B-focused go-to-market consulting firm, announced the results of a recent research study confirming software-based attribution is heavily skewed toward specific demand capture programs, leaving clear gaps in revenue attribution for B2B companies. 

The study, conducted over twelve months, involved 620 declared intent conversions, software-based and self-reported attribution data, and $21.5MM in closed won annual recurring revenue. The results demonstrated the measurement gap the firm calls The Attribution Mirage – the term used to define the current state of revenue attribution that is over-reliant on software-based tracking methods and fails to properly measure demand creation programs.

The results of the study conclude a 90% measurement gap in what software-based attribution is claiming versus what first party customer-led data is showing. Specifically, that “dark social” channels and programs, including social media, podcast, word of mouth, and communities, are either drastically under-reported or completely missed by software-based attribution. For example, in the collected data set, Podcast was attributed to 53% of revenue ($11.4MM closed won revenue) via self-reported attribution, but 0% was attributed to the Podcast by software-based attribution.

As a direct result of the learnings of this study, Vault has created a Hybrid Attribution Framework, recommended to B2B revenue teams to more effectively measure the impact of demand creation programs, especially within dark social. The Hybrid Attribution Framework accurately attributes the impact of multiple marketing channels on a business's revenue, providing valuable insights into the effectiveness of programs that are creating and capturing demand.