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Can anyone explain this? In the top right-hand corner it seems to say that the 'index's is 80,350 which was up +2,335 or +2.99%. Then the copy in the story says "The CBS brand's Digital Engagement Rating increased 288%, driven by the 57th Grammy Awards." There is a big difference between +2.99% and 288%! And just what is a "Digital Engagement Index"? How is it derived and calculated? Hang on ... I may have it ... a measure of how much people sit around twiddling their thumbs?
Which is why I suggested that each of these reports include a brief explanation, including a sample, hypothetical, calculation, John. It's asking a lot to expect the reader to remember the original explanation----if he even saw it in the first place.
Joe. I second Ed's motion. How can we make it happen?
@Ed and John: The methodology can be viewed by clicking on the link (pasting it here for your convenience). State explicitly what you would like to see that will help you understand it, and I will ask ListenFirst to provide it. It is in all our interest to give this data utility and meaning. That's why we are publishing it. Thank you for weighing in with your query. It helps a lot.
Methodology:
The Digital Engagement Index (DEI) is a benchmark for digital consumer engagement with brands. The index tracks the Redbooks 500, which is comprised of top brands based on weightings of brand revenue, advertising spend and social media engagement. The index is computed daily, as a simple arithmetic average of the daily ListenFirst Digital Engagement Ratings™ (DER) for the Redbooks 500 brands.
ListenFirst Digital Engagement Ratings (DER) are a raw aggregate of daily engagements based on owned, earned and organic consumer behavior on Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, Wikipedia and YouTube. These engagements encompass metrics pertaining to audience growth, page/profile views, page-level and post-level interactions, hashtag volume and Wikipedia page views for all brand pages (which provides a proxy for organic search volume).
Thanks Joe. I like the idea of the "Learn more about our methodology" link at the bottom of the article. (We can't have the explanation hogging the article - but it needs to be 'one-touch; available.)
I am unfamiliar with Redbook 500 but I seem to get the drift - The Top 500 'brands' using a meld of metrics, similar to those used by stock markets. The actual data for the 'rating' seems to be fundamentally anchored in traffic volume (a poor proxy for audience).
I think were I see the biggest confusion is that the article 'screams' +288% and the graph shows substantial declines, So in a nutshell and very round terms ... CBS' traffic trebled due to the Grammy's in a market that roughly halved in traffic. Sounds logical but underwhelming. Ed, your thoughts?
John and Joe, I understand that using electronic indicators is all that this system can do, and I suppose that the explanation can be accessed for clarification. However, I think that a hypothetical numerical example that takes the reader through the process in a brief exposition, would be helpful in that explanation. As for the article, above, I think that it is pretty confusing. For example, the headline says that CBS's DER increased 288% ,but the chart shows a decline. So what is the time frame? Did CBS gain 288% on a single day, but dropped down again? If so, why not show the previous days as well as those that followed so the one day gain is highlighted? The table showing the ten brands is also confusing. Again, what is the time frame? Is this a week to week chart or is it for a particular day?If it's week to week, what week is it? And why not include a previous four week trend ---or maybe a longer track-----so we can see the recent flow of events?
Joe (and Ed), now I am even MORE confused. When I made my most recent post, CBS was ranked eighth in volume and with +288% growth - but now that position says it is Olay. CBS is now ranked fourth in volume and with growth of +30.62%. Ed the graph represents AVERAGE volume of the Redbook 500 (well I am guessing it is average based on the number in the top right. Oops. Hang on. That has changed as well. This is like trying to hit a moving target. Is it because it appears as though Monday Feb 9 has been added? Either way, it appears as though the graph and the story are poorly inter-related.
John, I suspect that the data is constantly being updated----or the base period is changing---- but that's only a guess.
I am certain that the source data is (as it should be) but it appears that the data in the article is in constant flux (to the extent that CBS has become Olay), though the body of the story is not - hence the discordance.