Uploading Spot Files

Purpose

This article describes creating, formatting, and uploading spot data. Spot files contain all your spots for a given period, which you can then upload to the InnovidXP platform, formatted according to our guidelines to ensure accurate attribution.

Watch our help video for a quick guide on uploading spot files. Remember to follow the formatting guidelines as described in this article before you upload.

Formatting guidelines

We recommend including as much detail as possible in your spot file to maximize your ability to analyze data and optimize your insights.

Ensure spot times are to the nearest minute and as accurate as possible; our attribution relies on accurate spot times to model results. When making the spot file, remember to include all the fields you would like to analyze when uploading; this will ensure you have the correct spot dimensions and metrics necessary to optimize your media plan.

What to include in your spot file

InnovidXP requires a minimum of three fields: "date," "time", and "station" to produce attribution. However, only uploading those three dimensions would make optimization very difficult; therefore, we recommend the following fields: "spot length," "cost", and "audience". If you are in a country with multiple time zones and, therefore, multiple feeds, we recommend including a "feed" field that specifies the values "single", "dual", "triple", or "quad" as applicable.

All other fields are optional or conditional. Optional fields add depth to your reporting and insights. Conditional fields are used in particular business cases, for example, when a promotional code is included in the creative for a spot. In this case, we want to ensure that clients who enter the code when making a sale receive significantly higher levels of attribution, as we can match the code to a specific spot.

A unique conditional field for some countries, such as the U.S., is the market field. The market field will hold the market area where a local spot has aired. The market must be specified for the local spots, as we will only use responses from that market area for attribution.

Market field and accepted aliases

If your spot file contains local spots, you must include a Market column. This indicates the market area where the local spot aired. Attribution for local spots will only use responses from that specific market area.

To download the complete list of accepted aliases:

1. Go to Data > Spots > Upload File > New Upload.
2. Select Download Accepted Market Aliases (button at the bottom of the upload screen).

We recommend always using this list to ensure that the values in your file match our supported aliases. If your file contains markets that don’t match, you’ll need to update the entries before re-uploading.

The following tables list the required, recommended, and optional column formats for spot files:

Required fields

Recommended fields

Optional fields

Example:

Manually uploading a spot file

This task describes uploading your spot data to the platform to incorporate it into the attribution data model.

Note: Spot data must be uploaded as formatted log files, either pre- or post-campaign logs. Post-campaign logs are preferable, as this ensures your responses are attributed relative to actual spot times, rather than predicted times.

1. Select Data > Spots > Upload File:
   If this is your first time uploading spots, the How to Upload tab is displayed, which contains tips on uploading and a video showing you how.
2. Select the Upload Spot File button to display the New Upload tab.

3. File Selection: either drag-and-drop or Click to Browse to select a spot data file, then select Upload to upload the file to the platform.
4. Configuration: Use this screen to select the required configuration options for the spot data file:
   • Apply Settings: If you have previously uploaded a spot data file of the same format, you can select the same configuration from this dropdown. Alternatively, you can choose No–Start Upload from Scratch.
   • Datagroup: Select the data group to which you want to add the spot data file, or choose Default. 
     Data groups can give your spot data from different sources a level of separation and security.
     Spot data added to a separate data group will not overwrite existing data within the same date range. Data can only be uploaded to one data group at a time.
     You may use more than one data group if, for example, you are working with several different media agencies or are controlling access to the platform using roles and permissions.
   • Audience: Select the type of audience units in your uploaded spot data file from the dropdown, either Individually (1:1) or in Thousands (1:1000), to ensure that your audience numbers display correctly throughout the portal. 
     The audience figures provided must include the raw number of impressions (views) for each spot identified in the uploaded file, rather than, for example, rating points (target or gross), as these metrics may be more helpful for attribution modeling in InnovidXP.
   • Timezone: Select the time zones that are supplied for your spot data. This can be a single time zone applied to all spots if, for example, they are broadcast nationally.
     
     Alternatively, you can configure it for regional/Metro (Market Area) time zones in the same countries. In such cases, ensure that your file contains distinct regional times of the spot data in the relevant marketing regions.
5. Select Apply to continue.

6. Column Mapping: Use this screen to map the data columns in your uploaded spot data file to the corresponding InnovidXP dimensions (see our tips for column mapping below), then select Next. The platform attempts to map the data columns to dimensions, where possible, automatically.

   Tips for column mapping

   Map additional data columns by dragging and dropping the labels in the top panel to the appropriate header field for your data file. Dimensions for labels that have red tagging are required and must be mapped. Labels with blue tagging are optional but recommended to enhance your attribution. If a data column is not required, select the checkbox above the header to exclude it. If you have a data column for which no dimension is available, contact the Innovid support team for assistance. If a data column is not mapped, then this data will not be available in the platform.

    

7. Confirm and Submit: As a final confirmation step, use the summary information and date range graphic on this screen to check that the data and configuration are as you expect for the uploaded spot data file:
   i) Check the data range graphic to understand the effect of uploading the new file. Blue ranges in the date range graphic indicate existing spot data. Yellow ranges indicate overlapping data, which will be overwritten with data from the new file.
   ii) Your date range of new and existing spot data is significant, as new spot data files can contain overlapping data with previous uploads. This may be intended, for example, if you are uploading data from an earlier campaign in higher detail than was initially available.
   iii) If you need to return to a previous step to modify the configuration for the spot data file, select Back to return to an earlier step.
8. After you have reviewed the summary information displayed and are satisfied that your data and configuration are correct, you can select Submit File to submit the data for modeling.

Checking your spot upload

Select the Processed tab to view the status of spot uploads for the past 14 days. This page displays a list of Completed Uploads and shows the details for each upload. If there have been any failed uploads, they will be displayed on this page.

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