Adobe Analytics V/S Eloqua

[GV16]

Hi,

At the moment, our email communication is managed through Eloqua. However, we have noticed a discrepancy between the click-through numbers recorded in Eloqua and those in Adobe Analytics. Specifically, Eloqua is reporting significantly higher numbers.

To provide more context, each email contains unique identifiers called UTM tags, which we capture using an eVar. The values assigned to this eVar in Adobe Analytics do not align with the values recorded in Eloqua.

Interestingly, I conducted a test by creating an email in a staging environment to monitor its click-through activity. In this particular case, the numbers in Adobe Analytics perfectly matched those in Eloqua. Unfortunately, we are uncertain about the cause of this inconsistency with the other emails in the production environment. Please guide if you have any idea.

[brian_au · Accepted solution]

Assuming there are no issues with URL campaign identifiers not being in place or getting stripped out, the difference in email tracking between Eloqua and Adobe Analytics is due to their different methodologies for measuring the email "click". Eloqua measures the initial clickthrough of the link, while Adobe Analytics requires the user to clickthrough on the email and then for the Adobe full image request to render and fire. Since you tested both systems and the numbers matched, this indicates that under normal user conditions, the email tracking appears sound despite the methodology differences. 

[Jennifer_Dungan]

In addition to this... The clicks through Eloqua, if it's like other newsletter tools, track directly into a database...

Generally:

Newsletter (Link) > Middle-ware page that collects data > Immediate Redirect to your Site

You don't generally notice the middle-ware, but it stores directly into the DB - this won't have your bot filters, internal IP filters, or be subject to the same "opt-out"/block analytics tools that people have configured....

Of course, once the user ends up on your site, those conditions above that could prevent tracking are all in play (assuming the users didn't cancel out before your tracking loaded like Brian mentioned....)

There will always be difference between different sources... what matters is that the trends follow similar patterns over time... when numbers go up, they go up everywhere, when numbers go down, they go down everywhere....

Then you have to choose which of those items to be your "source of truth"... Adobe, having your bot and IP rules in place, and being map-able to your other data is probably going to be the one you choose.. but monitoring both is always a good idea.

[Hemang35]

There are a few possible reasons for the discrepancy between the click-through numbers recorded in Eloqua and those in Adobe Analytics.

• Different tracking methods: Eloqua and Adobe Analytics may be using different tracking methods. For example, Eloqua may be using a JavaScript tag to track clicks, while Adobe Analytics may be using a third-party tracking service.
• Different data collection periods: Eloqua and Adobe Analytics may be collecting data over different periods of time. For example, Eloqua may be collecting data for the past 24 hours, while Adobe Analytics may be collecting data for the past week.
• Different data filters: Eloqua and Adobe Analytics may be using different filters to determine which clicks are counted. For example, Eloqua may be filtering out clicks from known bots, while Adobe Analytics may not.

To troubleshoot the issue, you can try the following steps:

1. Compare the tracking methods used by Eloqua and Adobe Analytics. Make sure that both systems are using the same tracking method to track clicks.
2. Compare the data collection periods used by Eloqua and Adobe Analytics. Make sure that both systems are collecting data over the same period of time.
3. Compare the data filters used by Eloqua and Adobe Analytics. Make sure that both systems are using the same filters to determine which clicks are counted.

If you have tried all of the above steps and you are still unable to identify the cause of the discrepancy, you can contact Eloqua or Adobe Analytics support for help.

In addition to the above, here are some other things you can check:

• Make sure that the UTM tags are being properly formatted and that they are being included in all of your emails.
• Check your email deliverability settings to make sure that your emails are not being marked as spam.
• Test your emails in different email clients to make sure that the UTM tags are being properly displayed.

If you have checked all of the above and you are still having problems, you can contact Eloqua or Adobe Analytics support for help.