Series: Smarter Media, Real Results
QSR, franchise, and CPG brands are lifting media efficiency by 20–35% by doing two things: raising match rates to 75–85%, and applying identity-based suppression across channels. If you're under 60%, you’re likely overspending and under-attributing.
The Problem No One Wants to Admit
Let’s say your campaign reports a solid CTR, decent reach, and a nice CPM. Feels good, right?
But here’s the issue: if you can’t match who saw your ad to who converted using deterministic identity, then none of that performance data really matters.
Brands still relying on cookies, probabilistic attribution, or device-based frequency caps are making optimization decisions based on fractured, incomplete views.
The result? Wasted impressions, overstated ROAS, and an inability to justify spend when things go sideways.
Why Match Rate Is Your Most Underrated Metric
Match rate is the percentage of your audience impressions that you can link—using deterministic identifiers like hashed emails or loyalty IDs, to actual outcomes like purchases or store visits.
According to the 2024 MMA Global Attribution Report, identity-first models deliver 20–30% higher attribution accuracy than legacy models built on cookies or device IDs (MMA Global, 2024).
Yet many brands still hover in the 50–60% range. And that’s not just a data problem—it’s a business risk.
If 40–50% of your media delivery can’t be tied to real people, you’re flying blind.
Franchise, QSR, and CPG Benchmarks (2025)
| Vertical | Avg Match Rate | Top Performers |
|---|---|---|
| Franchises | 58–65% | 75–85% |
| QSR Brands | 60–68% | 80–90% |
| CPG Brands | 55–63% | 73–82% |
These match rate ranges are based on real AiOpti deployments and public vertical benchmarks from StackAdapt and Experian’s joint data study (StackAdapt, 2024).
The Suppression Secret: Stop Overserving the Same People
Most suppression systems still work by device or cookie. That means the same person with multiple devices may still see your ad 10+ times, even after converting.
Up to 37% of impressions could be wasted when suppression is based on devices instead of people, according to Digiday’s 2025 research.
When you suppress based on deterministic identity (hashed email or household ID), you cap frequency at the person level—stopping waste before it starts.
This also frees up budget to reach new customers, which can lower your CPA and increase your incremental lift.
AiOpti Highlights (Franchise + QSR)
In a recent multi-location franchise pilot, identity-based suppression and location-confirmed attribution delivered the following results:
-
29% reduction in wasted impressions
-
22% increase in attributed store visits
-
Higher ROI compared to previous cookie-based campaigns
Another QSR client saw foot traffic improve by 18% using suppression models tied to verified customer IDs, avoiding repeat exposure to converted users mid-campaign.
Why Location Attribution Completes the Story
Match rate and suppression are powerful, but without confirming visits, you’re still guessing about offline lift.
By combining identity resolution with location-based attribution, QSR and franchise brands are validating exposure-to-visit pathways and optimizing real-world behavior, not just digital proxies.
Location attribution also helps determine:
-
Which campaigns are actually driving foot traffic
-
How far customers are willing to travel
-
Whether your retargeting is cannibalizing loyal customers
The 5-Step Playbook for Identity-Based Media Efficiency
This works across QSR, franchise, and CPG:
-
Unify First-Party Data
Connect CRM, POS, loyalty, and app data into a centralized identity graph. Use hashed emails as your anchor. -
Audit Your Match Rate
If you’re below 60%, prioritize onboarding partners or CDPs that improve match quality and scale. -
Enable Suppression by Identity
Set frequency caps at the person or household level—not the device level—to eliminate waste. -
Add Location-Based Attribution
Track foot traffic or in-store purchases tied to ad exposure using compliant location signals. -
Monitor, Optimize, Reinvest
Measure suppression savings, allocate that media to fringe audiences or high-LTV cohorts, and rerun the cycle.
You Can’t Optimize What You Can’t Match
That’s the bottom line.
If your match rate is below 60%, your media reporting is fiction.
If your frequency suppression is based on cookies, you're probably hitting the same customer 5x a day across devices—and wasting money while doing it.
The brands outperforming in 2025 aren’t just buying smarter. They’re measuring smarter—owning identity, controlling frequency, and tying everything back to real conversions.
This is how QSR, franchise, and CPG brands are finally moving from guesswork to precision.
If your team is still relying on proxy signals and guesswork, are you open to exploring how identity-first suppression and real match rate visibility could help you cut waste and prove ROI?
Because that’s what top QSR, CPG, and franchise brands are doing—and the gap between what they know and what others guess is only growing.
