Marketing Channel Processing Rules vs Tracking Code(s.campaign) - Why the need for both?

[matt0000001]

Trying to understand the difference between Marketing Channel Processing Rules vs  Tracking Code(s.campaign). Can Tracking Code(s.campaign) be used instead by placing them in Segments?

[RobertBlakeley]

These are two very different things.

Marketing Channel Processing rules populate the Marketing channel variables. These special processing rules allow you to define and populate your referring traffic sources such as search engine, SEO, and yes, tracking codes. The variables can be further classified and you can apply segments to them. See the Adobe documentation: https://experienceleague.adobe.com/docs/analytics/components/marketing-channels/c-getting-started-mc...

Tracking Code (s.campaign) is an evar type variable used to capture just tracking codes, as the name implies. So its a sub-set of the referring sources typically included in Marketing Channels. It is populated separately from the Marketing Channels variables. Population can be done through your Tag manager, s code, regular processing rules ect. You typically segment these codes through classifications but you could also use segments with the variable. See theAdobe Documentation: https://experienceleague.adobe.com/docs/analytics/components/dimensions/tracking-code.html?lang=en (This includes a comparison of the Marketing Channel and Tracking Code variables.)

A normal implementation will implement both. Note that the Marketing Channel variables work and therefore count differently than the Traffic Code variable.

Here is an example of our Marketing Channels:

Here is an example of our plain vanilla tracking code: format: [vehicleClass]_[vehicleType]_[vehicleDetail]_[campaignSource]_[campaignID]_[campaignCustom]

These are Classified as follows:

• Class
  Class_Type
  Class_Type_Detail
  Campaign Source
  Campaign Source_Campaign ID
  Campaign Source_Campaign ID_Campaign Custom
  Class_Type_Detail_Campaign Source_Campaign ID_Campaign Custom

[Jennifer_Dungan]

The other difference is the scope.

Tracking Code by default is 1 Week Attribution, there is also no extra logic to clear the tracking codes for when someone comes in via Organic Search. Whereas Marketing Channels have a default 30 day attribution, but have more complex logic when it comes to new drivers that don't have a campaign code.

Example:

• Visit 1 (Paid Search)
  • Marketing Channel = Paid Search / Marketing Channel Detail = ppc (pay per click)
  • Tracking Code = ppc
• Visit 2 (non-ad Google search) - 2 days later
  • Marketing Channel = Organic Search / Marketing Channel Detail = google (set to "search engine" since no campaign hypothetically)
  • Tracking Code = ppc (since no campaign code, and within the attribution period, this retains the last campaign code used)

You can see how the data now somewhat conflicts... the last visit was an Organic Search with no campaign code, but your Tracking Code still says paid search.

[matt0000001]

Hi Jennifer,

Can the Tracking Code by default is 1 Week Attribution and Marketing Channels have a default 30 day attribution be changed to a different date range attribution?

What if a person visits the site via paid search at 1pm and then at 1:15 PM visits Paid Social. Does this tracking show in Marketing Channels and Tracking Code (s.campaign) attribution?

[Jennifer_Dungan · Accepted solution]

Yes, both can be changed from their default attribution.

We set our Marketing Channel to 7 days.. but still, the difference in the processing can still affect what values are seen, we use bot h depending on the use... well, I should say, we use Marketing Channels, and then we are more likely to use our individual "visit expiry" eVars per UTM (more than we use Tracking Code... We still have this, and use it, but not as much as the other sources).

Update: Sorry, I missed the second part of your question:

What if a person visits the site via paid search at 1pm and then at 1:15 PM visits Paid Social. Does this tracking show in Marketing Channels and Tracking Code (s.campaign) attribution?

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In this scenario, the user will be in the same visit, but will have two different attributions on pages/actions.

• 1 pm - Paid Search (s.campaign=ppc)
  • Page A
    • Marketing Channel = Paid Search
    • Marketing Channel Detail (mapped to tracking code) = ppc
    • Tracking Code = ppc
  • Page B
    • Marketing Channel = Paid Search (via attribution)
    • Marketing Channel Detail = ppc (via attribution)
    • Tracking Code = ppc (via attribution)
  • Order 1 Complete 
    • Marketing Channel = Paid Search (via attribution)
    • Marketing Channel Detail = ppc (via attribution)
    • Tracking Code = ppc (via attribution)
• 1:15pm - Paid Social
  • Page C
    • Marketing Channel = Paid Social
    • Marketing Channel Detail (mapped to tracking code) = social_campaign_x
    • Tracking Code = social_campaign_x
  • Page D 
    • Marketing Channel = Paid Social (via attribution)
    • Marketing Channel Detail = social_campaign_x (via attribution)
    • Tracking Code = social_campaign_x (via attribution)
  • Order 2 Complete
    • Marketing Channel = Paid Social (via attribution)
    • Marketing Channel Detail = social_campaign_x (via attribution)
    • Tracking Code = social_campaign_x (via attribution)
• 1:20pm - Organic Search
  • Page E 
    • Marketing Channel = Organic Social
    • Marketing Channel Detail (mapped to search engine) = google
    • Tracking Code = social_campaign_x (via attribution)
  • Page F
    • Marketing Channel = Organic Social (via attribution)
    • Marketing Channel Detail = google (via attribution)
    • Tracking Code = social_campaign_x (via attribution)
  • Order 3 Complete
    • Marketing Channel = Organic Social (via attribution)
    • Marketing Channel Detail = google (via attribution)
    • Tracking Code = social_campaign_x (via attribution)

If you are looking at the Visit, you will have 3 Marketing Channels and 2 Tracking Codes. The last leg of the journey (Pages E and F, and Order 3) will have conflicting data, the Marketing Channel will attribute these to Organic Search, where the Tracking Code will attribute them to the Paid Social campaign.

If you are looking at each Order individually, Order 1 will be attributed to Paid Search by both dimensions, Order 2 will be attributed to Paid Social by both dimensions, and Order 3 will have conflicting data (Organic Search by Marketing Channel and Paid Social by Tracking Code). However, all three Orders if you are looking at First Touch Marketing Channel will show Paid Search.

It is perfectly valid to have multiple last touch values within the same visit. Each page or action within the visit will be attached to one of those values based on the flow that the user took.