AirDNA

Reexamining The Lookback Window For Mobile Location Data

Data-Driven Thinking, authored by James Smith, Chief Revenue Officer of Arrivalist, argues for widening the lookback window of mobile location data beyond campaign flights. Citing a Mobile Marketing Association study, it notes that 60% of marketers use location data to improve insights and 50% to understand the consumer purchase journey. The piece suggests marketers can access at least six months of target-audience and path analytics before the first measured campaign and should keep the window open for ongoing measurement. It also claims mobile data lasts indefinitely and can be extended to one or two years, enabling deeper understanding of general habits and long-purchase cycles. A Google study is cited showing more than 850 travel resources and touchpoints over 90 days for a Nevada-to-San Diego trip, illustrating the volume of interaction in high-consideration travel. The author emphasizes implications for messaging, targeting, and budgeting in ongoing marketing plans.

This Penn. Tourism Board Is Getting Smart About Digital Measurement

Destination marketers at the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau (PMVB) faced difficulty measuring real-time ROI from digital advertising because travelers often interact with partner sites after the initial ad click. In early 2016 PMVB partnered with Arrivalist to validate whether its digital spend was driving visits to its destination. The program tracked campaigns across Google, Bing, and Facebook, and by May 2016–January 2017 delivered more than 25 million impressions. PMVB allocates about $700k of its roughly $6M annual budget to paid search and social, about 40% of total spend, and plans to reallocate further toward digital channels. Using tracking pixels, IP-based device matching, and GPS data validated by Arrivalist, the team could estimate ROI per arrival: roughly $4.02 on Facebook, $3.81 on Bing, and $2.93 on Google. Facebook also delivered 37% higher return per dollar than Google paid search. The bureau intends to shift spend toward Facebook as part of a broader CPC strategy and emphasizes real-time measurement.

Let’s Move Past The Correlation vs. Causation Debate

A 2014 AdExchanger column by Cree Lawson, founder and CEO of Arrivalist, argues that marketing attribution should move beyond a binary debate of correlation versus causation. The piece contends that attributing outcomes solely to marketers or consumers is simplistic and highlights the value of considering influence and latent intent. It introduces the concept of latent intent as a way to segment exposed and unexposed audiences and to measure how campaigns increase the likelihood of actions, such as travel or purchases, without claiming full causation. The author emphasizes assessing external stimuli and consumer free will, advocating a nuanced approach that recognizes factors like product, price, and availability. The article invites readers to measure, illustrate, and optimize value at a higher level, and ends by noting social handles for Arrivalist and AdExchanger.