In this Purchase Path the advertiser sends something direct mail (such as a catalog or flyer). The consumer then goes online and does a search for the branded term (Finish Line), clicks on the ad, and makes a purchase. It is known that the catalog was received within 7 days of them making the online purchase.
- In Attribution Rule A, the credit is distributed evenly between the catalog and the search.
- In Attribution Rule B, both sources deserve credit, however the breakdown between the 2 is not known. The catalog and the branded search each deserve a portion of credit for the sale, but it is undecided which is greater.
- In Attribution Rule C, the catalog is given 100% of the credit for the search. It introduced the consumer to the product they purchased and going to the website was simply the easiest way for them to place the order.
- In Attribution Rule D, the branded search is the easiest to track and therefore gets all the credit for the sale. It is also the action that lead most directly to the purchase.