It’s Time to Unmatch from “Match Rates” and Embrace Meaningful Metrics

As marketers navigate an increasingly complex digital landscape, the pressure to connect with target audiences effectively and efficiently has never been greater. In this pursuit, a common question often surfaces early in conversations with potential data and identity partners: “What’s your match rate?” While the desire to ensure customer data is recognized is understandable, fixating solely on match rate has become a dangerously misleading practice – a vanity metric that obscures the true potential for impactful campaigns.

Having spent years immersed in the intricacies of identity resolution and data-driven marketing, we’ve witnessed firsthand how an overemphasis on match rate can lead marketers astray. It’s a siren song promising broad reach but often delivering diluted impact and wasted resources. The truth is, match rate in isolation tells a superficial story, devoid of the crucial context needed to drive real business outcomes.

Consider this: one vendor’s boast of a 70% match rate might seem impressive on the surface. However, without a standardized calculation across the industry, this figure offers little comparative value against another vendor’s 60%. The underlying methodologies, the types of identifiers being matched, and the rigor of the process can vary wildly, rendering a simple percentage comparison meaningless.

Furthermore, a high match rate offers no guarantee of data quality or freshness. You could be achieving a significant number of matches against outdated records – individuals who have moved, changed email addresses, or are no longer active online. Targeting these stale profiles not only squanders valuable marketing spend but also risks delivering irrelevant messages that can negatively impact brand perception.

Most critically, match rate can be a poor predictor of campaign success. We’ve seen numerous instances where partners with seemingly lower match rates, but a laser focus on audience relevance and data accuracy, have delivered significantly stronger return on investment. Connecting with the right audience, even if it’s a smaller segment of your overall customer base, invariably outperforms broad, indiscriminate outreach based solely on a high number of matches.

The obsession with match rate also completely overlooks the vital context of who is being matched. Are these individuals within your ideal customer profile? Do they align with your specific campaign goals? A high match rate against a pool of irrelevant individuals is ultimately a wasted effort. It inflates the perceived addressable reach without guaranteeing connection with the audience that truly matters to your business. In essence, matching an identity doesn’t automatically translate to an active and reachable prospect.

At Stirista, we believe it’s time for marketers to unmatch from this misleading metric and demand a more holistic and insightful understanding of identity resolution. We empower our clients to Acquire, Grow, and Retain customers through a powerful synergy of precise Data, intelligent Media Planning, and seamless Execution. Our focus transcends superficial metrics, delving deep into data quality, audience relevance, and measurable outcomes.

Instead of fixating on match rate, marketers should be asking their identity partners about the fundamental aspects that truly drive campaign success. For instance, understanding how a partner ensures the accuracy and freshness of the data within their identity graph is paramount. This probes the rigor of their data maintenance processes and their commitment to providing up-to-date and reliable information. Furthermore, it’s crucial to ascertain what percentage of your data is actually reachable across the marketing channels that matter most to your strategy. This shifts the focus from simple matching to tangible activation potential across platforms like email, programmatic advertising, and social media.

Beyond data quality and reach, a key indicator of a valuable partner lies in their track record. Marketers should inquire about measurable outcomes and success stories they’ve driven for similar campaigns and clients. Past performance offers a far more reliable gauge of future success than a raw match percentage. Delving into the details of their matching methodology and understanding how it directly impacts the quality and relevance of the matched data is also essential. This transparency allows for a deeper evaluation of the integrity and usefulness of the resulting audience segments. Ultimately, the most effective identity solutions are those that can specifically align matched identities with your unique target audience profile and overarching campaign objectives, ensuring that matches are not just numerous but also highly relevant to your business goals.