System and method for measuring advertising effectiveness

A system comprising:

• a plurality of compute devices each having one or more processors coupled to a memory on which is stored a set of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes:
• transmitting, through a plurality of communication channels, a set of on-line communications that are associated with a particular on-line campaign;
• collecting, by a collection module executing on a first compute device of the plurality of compute devices, first purchase information from one or more data sources external to the first compute device, the first purchase information comprising a first set of consumer records;
• for each respective consumer record in the first set of consumer records:
• hashing at least one attribute string associated with the respective consumer record to generate a corresponding anonymous household identifier;
• and
• replacing, by the collection module executing on the first compute device, personal identifying information in the respective consumer record with the anonymous household identifier;
• after replacing the personal identifying information in each consumer record in the first set of consumer records, storing the first set of consumer records in one or more data stores in association with a first retailer profile, wherein each consumer record in the first set of consumer records is not stored in the one or more data stores or matched to other records until after the personal identifying information has been replaced by the collection module;
• defining, by a matching module executing on a second compute device of the plurality of compute devices, a population of consumers by matching hashed identification strings that anonymously identify recipient households of at least one on-line communication in the set of on-line communications with anonymous household identifiers in the first set of consumer records, the matching module prevented from directly interacting with the one or more data sources to maintain privacy of the personal identifying information replaced by the collection module;
• wherein the first compute device and the second compute device communicate over a network via a firewall that is configured to filter incoming and outgoing network traffic;
• collecting, by the collection module executing on the first compute device, second purchase information received from one or more data sources external to the first compute device, the second purchase information comprising a second set of consumer records;
• for each consumer record in the second set of consumer records:
• hashing at least one attribute string associated with the respective consumer record to generate a corresponding anonymous household identifier;
• and
• replacing, by the collection module executing on the first compute device, personal identifying information in the respective consumer record with the anonymous household identifier;
• after replacing the personal identifying information in each consumer record in the second set of consumer records, storing the second set of consumer records in the one or more data stores, the second purchase information associated with a third party, the third party being one of a manufacturer or an opt-in panel, the second purchase information including a second purchase amount for offline purchases associated with a promoted entity and with the first retailer profile, and a third purchase amount associated with the promoted entity and with a second retailer profile different from the first retailer profile, wherein each consumer record in the second set of consumer records is not stored in the one or more data stores or matched to other records until after the personal identifying information has been replaced by the collection module;
• defining, by a measurement module executing on one of the first compute device or the second compute device, a test group from a population of consumers, the test group different from the third party, that have been exposed to at least one on-line communication, in the set of on-line communications, that is associated with the promoted entity, each consumer in the test group being associated with the first retailer profile and a first purchase amount for offline purchases associated with the promoted entity and with the first retailer profile;
• generating, by the measurement module, an indication of an effectiveness, of the on-line communication in increasing offline purchasing activity by defining a first multiplier by dividing the second purchase amount by the first purchase amount, defining a second multiplier by dividing and the third purchase amount by the first purchase amount, and defining a combined multiplier by combining the first multiplier and the second multiplier;
• transmitting, via one or more data communication networks, a notification of the indication of the effectiveness of the on-line communication in increasing offline purchasing activity based on the combined multiplier to the particular compute device that is associated with the identified user;
• and
• causing an application executing on the particular compute device to display a set of visual elements that identify a set of media exposure data, offline purchase data, and the indication of the effectiveness of the on-line communication, the displayed set of media exposure data and offline purchase data being linked by an anonymous household identifier generated through a hashed attribute string, wherein the set of visual elements presents the anonymous household identifier, a score based on a number of digitally active consumers in a household corresponding to the anonymous household identifier, a set of media exposure data that identifies dates and times when the digitally active consumers in the household were exposed to the on-line communication, and a set of transaction data that identifies products purchased by the digitally active consumers of the household.

One or more non-transitory machine-readable media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors cause:

• transmitting, through a plurality of communication channels, a set of on-line communications that are associated with a particular on-line campaign;
• collecting, by a collection module executing on a first compute device, first purchase information from one or more data sources external to the first compute device, the first purchase information comprising a first set of consumer records;
• for each respective consumer record in the first set of consumer records:
• hashing at least one attribute string associated with the respective consumer record to generate a corresponding anonymous household identifier;
• and
• replacing, by the collection module executing on the first compute device, personal identifying information in the respective consumer record with the anonymous household identifier;
• after replacing the personal identifying information in each consumer record in the first set of consumer records, storing the first set of consumer records in one or more data stores in association with a first retailer profile, wherein each consumer record in the first set of consumer records is not stored in the one or more data stores or matched to other records until after the personal identifying information has been replaced by the collection module;
• defining, by a matching module executing on a second compute device of the plurality of compute devices, a population of consumers by matching hashed identification strings that anonymously identify recipient households of at least one on-line communication in the set of on-line communications with anonymous household identifiers in the first set of consumer records, the matching module prevented from directly interacting with the one or more data sources to maintain privacy of the personal identifying information replaced by the collection module;
• wherein the first compute device and the second compute device communicate over a network via a firewall that is configured to filter incoming and outgoing network traffic;
• collecting, by the collection module executing on the first compute device, second purchase information received from one or more data sources external to the first compute device, the second purchase information comprising a second set of consumer records;
• for each consumer record in the second set of consumer records:
• hashing at least one attribute string associated with the respective consumer record to generate a corresponding anonymous household identifier;
• and
• replacing, by the collection module executing on the first compute device, personal identifying information in the respective consumer record with the anonymous household identifier;
• after replacing the personal identifying information in each consumer record in the second set of consumer records, storing the second set of consumer records in the one or more data stores, the second purchase information associated with a third party, the third party being one of a manufacturer or an opt-in panel, the second purchase information including a second purchase amount for offline purchases associated with a promoted entity and with the first retailer profile, and a third purchase amount associated with the promoted entity and with a second retailer profile different from the first retailer profile, wherein each consumer record in the second set of consumer records is not stored in the one or more data stores or matched to other records until after the personal identifying information has been replaced by the collection module;
• defining, by a measurement module executing on one of the first compute device or the second compute device, a test group from a population of consumers, the test group different from the third party, that have been exposed to at least one on-line communication, in the set of on-line communications, that is associated with the promoted entity, each consumer in the test group being associated with the first retailer profile and a first purchase amount for offline purchases associated with the promoted entity and with the first retailer profile;
• generating, by the measurement module, an indication of an effectiveness of the on-line communication in increasing offline purchasing activity by defining a first multiplier by dividing the second purchase amount by the first purchase amount, defining a second multiplier by dividing and the third purchase amount by the first purchase amount, and defining a combined multiplier by combining the first multiplier and the second multiplier;
• transmitting, via one or more data communication networks, a notification of the indication of the effectiveness of the on-line communication in increasing offline purchasing activity based on the combined multiplier to the particular compute device that is associated with the identified user;
• and
• causing an application executing on the particular compute device to display a set of visual elements that identify a set of media exposure data, offline purchase data, and the indication of the effectiveness of the on-line communication, the displayed set of media exposure data and offline purchase data being linked by an anonymous household identifier generated through a hashed attribute string, wherein the set of visual elements presents the anonymous household identifier, a score based on a number of digitally active consumers in a household corresponding to the anonymous household identifier, a set of media exposure data that identifies dates and times when the digitally active consumers in the household were exposed to the on-line communication, and a set of transaction data that identifies products purchased by the digitally active consumers of the household.