Envision a programmatic platform capable of correlating digital device interactions with user foot traffic in and around a physical location. This is the core strength of illumin's integration with Adsquare's footfall attribution.
By combining location-based data and illumin’s sophisticated multi-channel functionality, you can bridge the gap between online engagement and offline actions. Whether your objective is to drive in-store traffic, optimize campaign performance, or analyze the factors influencing customer behavior, this integrated approach delivers robust, actionable insights. The result is a streamlined path from digital engagement to measurable footfall outcomes.
Understanding footfall attribution
Before diving into the instructions, here's a quick backgrounder.
illumin’s footfall attribution integration measures two key variables:
- Trackable foot traffic around a physical location during a defined time period.
- Digital campaign impressions served to an audience segment.
By connecting these data points, marketers can optimize campaigns to drive incremental visits to real-world locations.
How it works
- Upload addresses: Provide the physical locations you want to measure.
- Publish a campaign: Once live, our partner Adsquare monitors mobile device IDs detected in the geofenced area around each address.
- Daily data transfer: Adsquare sends the collected device IDs to illumin once per day.
- Attribution matching: illumin matches those device IDs against users in the campaign audience who were served impressions.
- If the Cross Device feature is enabled, illumin can also connect those users to additional devices for broader attribution coverage.
Data considerations
- Directional, not absolute: Footfall counts are not exact visitor numbers. Privacy constraints (e.g., users disabling location tracking) mean the system captures device IDs in proximity zones, not literal store entries.
- Patterns over precision: The data is designed to reveal trends and directional movement rather than exact headcounts.
- Key metric: The most valuable insight is the number of footfall events attributed back to the campaign journey.
Reviewing campaign design considerations
When building or updating a campaign, consider the following factors to ensure optimal performance:
- Scope of footfall attribution: It's designed to measure traffic around physical locations, such as retail stores or amusement parks. It's not intended for e-commerce sites, as its functionality relies on capturing location-based data tied to physical spaces.
- Data attribution: illumin can attribute device IDs to Open Web campaigns and soon programmatic guaranteed campaigns. However, illumin cannot link Adsquare’s device ID data to Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) campaigns. Nor can we link Adsquare’s device ID data to Meta campaigns because Meta does not provide device-level impression data.
- Campaign duration: Campaigns should run for a minimum of two weeks to establish sufficient baseline data. After the campaign concludes, Adsquare collects post-campaign attribution data for thirty days to support comprehensive attribution reporting.
- Compatibility with illumin: Footfall attribution is available on the enhanced Canvas and Journey Canvas.
Steps to add locations
First, get your locations into the illumin platform. Open an existing campaign or create a new one.
- If you're updating an existing project, go to the canvas and click the gear icon in the top menu to open the Settings window. Scroll down, click the Measurement link, and then click the Adsquare Footfall Measurement card.
- If you're creating a new journey, the workflow automatically directs you to the Settings page. Click the Measurement link and then go to the Adsquare Footfall Measurement card.
- Switch on the Settings toggle. A new window displays.
Click the New location button and select an option: CSV or XLS file for bulk uploads, or List form to manually input addresses.
Note that illumin stores your addresses at the advertiser level. That means you only need to upload the addresses one time. If, in the future, you or your team generate another campaign for the same advertiser, the list is already there.
Steps to review data requirements
When entering or uploading location data, you need to complete the required fields, which are listed below. Be sure to input the data in this order, each variable separated by a comma:
- street address, city, state/province, country, ZIP/Postal code
There are also three optional fields.
- The Location Name field is useful for brands that assign unique names, identifiers, or store codes to their locations. This feature allows for easy organization and identification of specific stores or facilities within a network. For example, a retail chain might use store numbers or nicknames (e.g. Downtown HQ) to differentiate between locations.
- Latitude and longitude fields are useful when a high level of accuracy is required for pin placement. These coordinates ensure precise geotargeting, which can be critical for brands managing campaigns tied to specific geographic areas.
Steps to use the List form
Choose this option to manually upload addresses. Paste the full street address along with a country name and a ZIP/Postal code. Each address, excluding the last one, should end with a comma.
If you enter the full string (required and optional fields), enter the comma-separated variables in this order:
- street address, city, state/province, country, ZIP/Postal code, location name, latitude, longitude
When complete, click Next.
A new window displays. This is where illumin validates the addresses. If the system finds an error, fix or replace the highlighted address(es). The form auto-fills each Location name field with the matching address if you do not provide a unique label. Optionally, you can overwrite the address in the Location name field and enter a descriptive label (e.g. store number). Click Apply to continue.
The Footfall Measurement configuration page displays the name and location of each place in the left-hand Available column. These records are stored in the Adsquare database but are not yet part of your footfall analysis.
- Optionally, click the Manage location button to add new addresses or edit the current list.
Now, you're ready to configure footfall settings (see below).
Steps to upload a CSV or XLS file
You can bulk upload a list of formatted addresses in a CSV or XLS file. The first step is to download the upload template. Click the Manage location button and select the link Add locations with CSV or XLS file (see above). The Add locations pop-up displays. Click the Download template file link.
Open the template on your device and fill in the required cells (i.e. Address, City, State/Province, Country, Zip/Postal code). Three columns (i.e. Location Name, Latitude and Longitude) are optional.
Go back to the Add locations window and click the upload link. Locate the file on your device and click Next.
On the next page, confirm the addresses and location names. Adjust the information as needed. Click the X icon to cancel the upload or Apply to save and continue.
Note that it's possible to use the template to bulk upload a list of comma-separated addresses.
However, you might need to correct addresses on the validation page and manually enter a unique Location name (if required). For example, the upload tool might not read the store name if included.
Steps to configure a footfall analysis
After you create or upload location records, illumin displays a page with the list in the left-hand Available column. Now, it's time to configure settings.
- Select the locations in the Available column that you want to add to the footfall count. Use the checkboxes to select individual locations or click Select all. The page displays these addresses in the right-hand Selected column. Click the trash can icon to remove an address from the Selected column. It is not possible to delete an address in the Available column.
- Set the value for the Attribution window between 7 and 30 days. The default is 30 days. This defines how long store visits will be measured and attributed to your journey.
- Go to the Radius field and set the unit of measurement (i.e. feet or meters) and length. The radius is applied to each address in the Selected column. Go to the map and zoom in to view the radius around each selected address. The default is 50 metres. The minimum radius is 30 meters (or 99 feet). The best setting depends on the location type and the degree of relevance that you want to achieve. For instance, if your location is an ice cream franchise, a short radius (e.g. 30 meters) would generate comparably more accurate results. If the location is a sprawling amusement park, then a one-kilometer radius might better capture the device IDs in the intended zone.
| ℹ️ Best practice: Confirm that each mapped pin is in the correct location. Google Maps may misplace the pin even if the municipal address is correct. Click here to learn how to confirm the pin location and, if needed, drag it to a different spot on the map. |
Steps to go live
Click the Apply button to complete the Adsquare setup. After you publish the campaign, illumin completes some configurations on the backend, and Adsquare starts to collect footfall data for the selected locations.
When Adsquare is active, the Settings toggle is switched on. To stop collecting data for a campaign, switch off the toggle.
Reporting
To view monitoring results, go to the Predefined Reports page. There are two Adsquare reports.
Store Visit Measurement Report
This report provides a breakdown of visit and visitor footfall counts for each location, including totals for:
- store visits
- number of visitors
- visits attributed across devices
Footfall Attribution Report
This report provides a detailed look at store visits based on exposure to journey steps or creatives. You could, for instance, use this data to evaluate the effectiveness of targeting or messaging and make adjustments where appropriate. This report displays key metrics such as:
- impressions, clicks, cost, average cost per store visit
- average time to store visit
- average store visits per visitor
- exposure to store visit ratio (number of impressions before a store visit occurs)
Table 2 shows a report with store visit data based on journey path and step/tactic.
Table 3 shows report data sorted by journey creative. Note that for the purpose of presentation, the table hides rows with individual store location attribution data.
FAQs
Do illumin reports show real-time data?
No, the time frame for data is day minus 1. Adsquare sends illumin new data once per day. Once that data runs through the illumin algorithm, your reports display all data from campaign start to yesterday.
How does Adsquare collect device ID location data?
Adsquare gathers movement data from SDK vendors and location-enabled apps, known as background location data, which is shared even when the app isn't in use. Users provide consent for this via the app publisher or operating system.
- Need more background information? Check out our footfall FAQ article.
What is Adsquare footfall attribution in illumin?
Adsquare footfall attribution links digital ad exposure to physical store visits using mobile location signals. The integration matches device IDs detected near locations with campaign exposure to show which journeys drive incremental foot traffic and reveal offline impact.
Which campaign types support footfall attribution?
Footfall attribution supports Open Web campaigns on the enhanced Canvas and Journey Canvas. The system does not attribute visits to DOOH or Meta campaigns because those channels do not provide device-level impression data for matching.
Why does footfall data look directional rather than exact?
Footfall data reflects directional trends rather than exact visitor counts. Privacy limits and disabled location services restrict capture to device proximity signals, which show patterns of movement and attribution instead of literal store entries.
How long should a campaign run to produce reliable footfall results?
Campaigns should run for at least two weeks to establish baseline exposure and visitation patterns. After campaign end, Adsquare continues to collect post-campaign data for up to thirty days to complete attribution analysis.
Why does footfall attribution show no results?
No results usually indicate missing locations, an inactive measurement toggle, or insufficient campaign duration. Marketers should confirm mapped pins, radius settings, and live delivery when footfall data does not populate.