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Matching Results Data to a Media Plan
Matching Results Data to a Media Plan

Attribute campaign performance back to a particular media plan (or even line item) in Mediatool, for easy comparison

Aydin Ismailov avatar
Written by Aydin Ismailov
Updated over a week ago
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What is data tracking/matching? And why do it?

  • Automatically connect performance data to the originating plan or activity

  • Easily compare media plans, and even individual ad sets, placements or ads, against their direct results

  • Assign the tags used to segment your planning data to the resulting performance data as well; allowing strong reporting capabilities


Establishing an integration will allow you to fetch measures and dimensions made available by that particular platform, directly in Mediatool.

This is a great start! However, the logical next step is to make it as easy as possible to analyze your results and compare them to your media plans. This is where data tracking/matching comes in.

Allow Easy Comparison:

  • Data tracking/matching allows you to automatically match results data back to a specific media plan or even a specific media entry - based on a unique tracking identifier. This allows you to easily and confidently compare campaign-wide or ad-specific performance to what you had planned.

Allow Flexible Analysis:

  • The tags used per plan or media entry are also attributed to matching results data. This enables you to filter, split, and interpret your results data based on organization, plan, media type, media vehicle, and all other custom tags - just as you would with your media plans.

Ultimately, data tracking/matching allows marketers to more easily assess the performance of their campaigns, shift budgets as necessary, and make stronger plans in the future.


Different Matching Methods

You have the possibility of matching results data back to the original planning data by any of the following options:

  • Plan

  • Media entry

  • Tag


Plan-level matching

Plan-level matching uses a plan-specific tracking code as a keyword in which to search all incoming results data and relate it back to the plan. All results that return the keyword (for example, a unique campaign name) will be related back to the plan so that the results data can be used in plan-specific reporting.

Please note that only the tags selected in the plan setup that are uniformly applied to all your media activities will be applied to the matching results data. The Media Types, Media Vehicles, and all tags used on a media entry (line item) level will not be applied to all of your individual activities. For more information on how to achieve this, read the next section on Media-entry level matching.

Media-entry level matching

Media-entry level matching is the most granular method of tracking performance, matching results back to planned activities, and applying tags. It is the only method that will allow you to interpret your results by Media Type, Media Vehicle, and all of the custom tag options used in your planning process.

Media-entry level matching uses line-item specific tracking codes to uniquely identify and search for matches among incoming results data. This can be done on the basis of a naming convention, ID, or any other unique identifier for that activity.

When a match is found, Mediatool relates the performance results back to that specific plan and line item, applying the media type, media vehicle, and all custom tags to the result.

Tag matching

Tag matching uses the tag names determined in your tag settings as keywords in which to search all incoming results data. All results data that contains either the tag name or tag abbreviation in your organization settings will be applied with the corresponding tag.

In order to choose the option that is best suited for you, contact your CSM. They will make sure to walk you through the technical process and ensure the best possible outcome.


Creating unique tracking codes

There are several ways to create completely unique tracking codes:

UTI codes are generated at both a plan level and an entry-level and are 100% unique. They can be used as a component of a naming convention to make a plan or cell entry completely unique. This will guarantee that no results get attributed to the wrong plan or line item.


Strict Date Tracking

It is possible to match results to multiple plan entries in Mediatool. This is achieved by setting up an integration with strict date tracking by start and end date.

For example, I have an always-on campaign running throughout 2021 and, in Mediatool, I have 12 different entries in my plan that use the same tracking code (one for each month). With strict date tracking enabled, only integration results that match the entry row's start and end date will be matched.

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