Merchandising Variables: Allocation

[Former Community Member]

I'm using Evar2 for Internal Campaign IDs. It is set up as a Merchandising Evar

Syntax: 'Conversion Variable Syntax'
Allocation: 'First'
Expiration: 'Purchase'
Binding Events: 'Purchase Event', 'Product View Event', and 'Cart Add Event'

In this particular question, there is an internal campaign that links to a product detail page, where a product view is set. Clicking through on the internal campaign results in this:

Events 'prodView' products '123456' eVar2 '7890'

Since the 'Product View Event' occurs on this resulting page, and is one of the binding methods, I would expect this SKU to bind to the value of '7890' in eVar2 and remain so until purchase.

When I run a report on this particular entry (7890) in eVar2 and break it down by Products, with Revenue as a metric, I'm seeing other products being purchased.

I'm okay that maybe SKU 7890 wasn't purchased at all, but I would not expect other products to be present there, because they were never bound to that value for eVar2

Thanks

[brian_au · Accepted solution]

Hi,

If the exact product value is known at the time the internal campaign is set as in your example then I would recommend you switch from Conversion Variable Syntax to Product Syntax and therefore would not have a worry about binding events. The intent behind Conversion Variable Syntax Merchandising custom conversion variables (eVars) is when the value of the product is not known at the time you need to establish the merchandising custom conversion variable (eVar), but that is not the case at outlined above (purchase, product view, and cart add all should involve specific product values).

You are running into issues likely because your internal campaign merchandising variable is persisting per the admin settings and binding to other products when subsequent configured binding events are being set.

Reference Info:

>>>

http://microsite.omniture.com/t2/help/en_US/sc/implement/var_merchandising_impl.html

Conversion Variable Syntax should be used when the eVar value is not available to set in s.products. This typically means that your page has no context of the merchandising channel or finding method. In these cases you must set the merchandising variable before you arrive at the product page, and the value persists until the binding event occurs.

When the binding event selected during configuration occurs, the persisted value of the eVar is associated with the product. For example, if prodView is specified as the binding event, the merchandising category is tied to the current product list only at the time the event occurs. Only subsequent binding events can update a merchandising eVar that has already been assigned to a product.

Best,

Brian

[Former Community Member]

Brian,

We have this set as Conversion Variable Syntax because sometimes the Internal Campaign goes directly to a product, and more often it does not.

You say "When the binding event selected during configuration occurs, the persisted value of the eVar is associated with the product". In the case for my scenario, I would expect that, at the moment both the s.products and eVar2 are present, that it would bind and persist. Once bound, they would have a 1:1 relationship. If that product is not purchased, then no revenue would be associated. If that is the case, how then is it being overwritten later?

Could this be an issue with allocation being First, rather than Most Recent?

[brian_au]

Hi,

The text "When the binding event selected during configuration occurs, the persisted value of the eVar is associated with the product" from the help microsite article is accurate. It is difficult to diagnose the issues with the known details. Is there a reason for binding on purchase event? Typically Cart Add and Product View are the two standard binding events. It appears the initial binding as outlined is failing entirely, yet the Merch eVar is binding later on after being set.

First allocation versus Most Recent only really matters if the same product value is in play. Adam Greco has good reviews on allocation settings for Merch eVars: http://adam.webanalyticsdemystified.com/2014/08/04/advanced-conversion-syntax-merchandising/ & http://adam.webanalyticsdemystified.com/2011/09/27/merchandising-evars-omniture/

Best,

Brian

[Former Community Member]

I have it set as 'First' allocation because of Adam's article, and how it enforces as a 'tiebreaker'.

Our setting of "Purchase" as a binding event was set up by a consultant quite some time ago. I'll revisit that.