mrc social media measurement guidelinesmediaratingcouncil.org/mrc social measurement guidelines v1.0...
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MRCSocialMediaMeasurementGuidelinesNovember2,2015version1.0-Final
KeySponsoringAssociations:AmericanAssociationofAdvertisingAgencies(4A’s)InteractiveAdvertisingBureau(IAB)WordofMouthMarketingAssociation(WOMMA)
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TableofContents
Overview ....................................................................................................... 51.1 GoalofGuidelines .................................................................................. 5
1.2 DevelopmentProcess ............................................................................. 5
1.3 DevelopmentTeam ................................................................................ 6
1.4 ScopeandApplicability ........................................................................... 7
1.5 RevisionProcess ..................................................................................... 7
1.6 Definitions ............................................................................................. 8
2 GeneralMeasurement ............................................................................ 112.1 Authorship ........................................................................................... 12
2.2 Engagement ........................................................................................ 13
2.2.1 Interaction ...................................................................................................... 142.2.2 ContentRedistribution: .................................................................................... 152.2.3 AdvocacyandInfluence: ................................................................................... 16
2.3 Reach .................................................................................................. 18
2.4 CostMetrics ........................................................................................ 19
2.5 DemographicsandTargeting ................................................................ 19
3 SocialMediaCoverageandBasisforProjection ........................................ 193.1 Internet/MobileInternetUsers–Universe .............................................. 19
3.2 CompatibilityorMeasurementLimitations ............................................. 20
3.3 TrackingSocialMediaExposuresOutsideofApplications ......................... 20
3.4 SocialMediaApplications ..................................................................... 21
3.5 UsageRestrictions,IfAny ...................................................................... 24
4 SocialMediaActivityMeasurementSpecifics ........................................... 244.1 TrackingofUsersAccessingContent–TechnicalDetails .......................... 24
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4.1.1 ClientSide(andViewable): ............................................................................... 254.1.2 TrackingMethod ............................................................................................. 254.1.3 ProjectionorOtherEstimationMethods,IncludingInferences ............................. 254.1.4 MetricsandKeyAttributes ............................................................................... 264.1.5 DifferencesbyPlatform .................................................................................... 27
4.2 UserGeneratedContent(UGC)Analysis–TechnicalDetails ..................... 27
4.2.1 TrackingMethod ............................................................................................. 274.2.2 ThreadedContent,OverlappingContentandDownstreamEditing ....................... 284.2.3 ExcludingNon-RelevantInformation ................................................................. 29
4.3 Video .................................................................................................. 30
4.4 FrequencyCapping ............................................................................... 31
5 EnhancingSocialMediaMeasurementAccuracy ....................................... 315.1 CacheBusting ...................................................................................... 31
5.2 FiltrationforKnownInvalidActivity ....................................................... 31
5.3 SegregationofPre-FetchandPre-RenderActivity .................................... 32
5.4 Auto-InitiatedContent,OtherNon-UserIntendedContent ....................... 32
5.5 Applications–On-Linevs.Off-LineActivity ............................................. 32
5.6 InactivityConsiderationsandLimits ....................................................... 33
6 GeneralReportingParameters ................................................................. 336.1 GeneralParameters ............................................................................. 33
6.2 Time ................................................................................................... 33
6.3 Location .............................................................................................. 34
6.3.1 TraditionalGeo-LocationMethods .................................................................... 346.3.2 ApplicationLocationServices ............................................................................ 346.3.3 HybridandEmergingLocationTechniques ......................................................... 35
6.4 SegregatingNon-LikeAdContentorActivity ........................................... 35
7 DisclosureGuidance ................................................................................ 357.1 General ............................................................................................... 35
7.2 DataOwnershipDisclosures .................................................................. 37
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8 AuditingGuidelines ................................................................................. 378.1 General ............................................................................................... 37
8.2 U.S.CertificationRecommendation ........................................................ 38
9 WhoWeAreandContact ........................................................................ 39
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Overview
ThisdocumentpresentsaguidelineforthemeasurementofcertaintypesofSocialMediaactivityconductedbyconsumerswhousemedia.Forpurposesofthisdocument,SocialMediaisdefinedascreated,sharedorexchangedinformation,ideas,contentandopinionsinvirtualcommunitiesandonlinenetworks,includingconversationsaboutorwithabrand.ThedocumentwaspreparedfortheuseandbenefitofthemediaIndustry,especiallythoseconstituentsthatanalyzebehaviororuser-generated/postedinformation,measureadvertisingandthosethatattempttomonetizeevents(whetherbuyerorseller)inaSocialMediaenvironment.
Furthermore,forpurposesofthisdocument,aSocialMediaPlatformisdefinedasamediavehicle,site(asawholeorinpart),app,widgetorothermediamechanismthathasasocialorientation;specifically,thatcapturesusercommentaryandfacilitatessharingofinformationamongusersofadefinednetwork–i.e.,representingachannelforsharinginformation,opinionsorexperiencesfromusersofthatplatform–orallowscross-usercollaboration
1.1 GoalofGuidelines
Thisdocumentestablishesadetailedsetofmethods,definitionsandcommonpracticesforentitiesthatmeasureSocialMediaactivity.Guidelinesareintendedtoestablishanddocumentgoodpracticesofmeasurement;improvepracticesanddisclosuresusedbypractitioners;andalsoprovideeducationtousersofSocialMediadatafromallsegmentsoftheIndustry.ThisdocumentalsoestablishesarecommendationandabenchmarkforauditprocesseswherebythepracticesanddisclosuresofSocialMediameasurementorganizationscanbevalidatedbythirdparties.
1.2 DevelopmentProcess
TheguidelinescontainedinthisdocumentoriginatedfromaprojectledbytheMediaRatingCouncil(MRC)withsponsorshipandsupportbytheAmericanAssociationofAdvertisingAgencies(4A’s),InteractiveAdvertisingBureau(IAB)andWordofMouthMarketingAssociation(WOMMA),withtheparticipationofalargegroupofSocialMediavendors,publishers,measurementorganizations,ad-servers,ad-networksandotherinterestedorganizations.Theseguidelineswerealsoreviewedbymajorbuyer-sidetradeorganizations(ANA)andtheirconstituentsandthereafterprovidedtothepublicthroughaformalperiodofpubliccommentpriortoformaladoption.
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Thefinalguidelineisexpectedtobepublishedandavailableonthewebsitesofthe4A’s,IABandWOMMA,andwillbere-assessedperiodicallytoensureitremainsapplicableovertime.
1.3 DevelopmentTeam
Associations–PrimarySponsors/FacilitatorsinadditiontotheMediaRatingCouncil(MRC)AmericanAssociationofAdvertisingAgencies(4A’s)InteractiveAdvertisingBureau(IAB)WordofMouthMarketingAssociation(WOMMA)ParticipatingOrganizations
140Proof Ernst&Young(EY) PricewaterhouseCoopers(PwC)360i ESPN PubmaticAddThis eyeReturnMarketing PurchAdMaster Facebook QuintlyAdsNative GeddesAnalytics SapientNitroAdvertisingResearchFoundation(ARF) GfK SASInstituteAllen&Gerritsen HavasWorldwide ScrippsNetworkInteractiveAllianceforAuditedMedia(AAM) IDGCommunications Shareablee,Inc.Allrecipes.com IMServices ShareThisAmericanExpress IPRMeasurementCommission SocialbakersAssociationofAmericanAdvertisers(ANA) JEGI SonyPicturesTelevisionBigValleyMarketing KantarMedia SpredfastBPA KellerFay TheDailyNewsBrandwatch KPMG TheNewYorkTimesCompanyBuzzfeed LinkedIn TimeInc.Centro ListenFirstMedia TrackMavenChartbeat MansuetoVentures TravelersCMP.LY Mashable TwitterConclaveonSocialMediaMeasurement MECGlobal UnmetricConverseon Merkle UnivisionCrowdtap MomentumWorld UnrulyMediaCrosbyMarketing Nativo U.S.BankC-SuiteCommunications NeoReach VideoAmpCyberAlert NBCUniversal VMLDeloitte Nielsen WWEDoubleVerify Ogilvy Yahoo!Eleven OnIdeas ZócaloGroupEnergyBBDO Ernst&Young(EY) ZuumEngagementLabs PainePublishing
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1.4 ScopeandApplicability
TheseguidelinesareintendedtocoverthemethodsusedformeasurementofcertaintypesofSocialMediaactivityincluding:(1)tracking/countingusersaccessingSocialMediaorrelevantcontentwithinSocialMedia,(2)InteractionorEngagementwithSocialMediacontent,and(3)consumerlisteningandconsumersentiment.Activitygeneratedondevicesofalltypes–personalcomputers,mobiledevices,tablets,etc.–areconsideredherein.ThisdocumentisprincipallyapplicabletoSocialMediaPlatformsorUserGeneratedContent(UGC)collectors(thatproduceorenablemeasurementoftheirplatformactivity),thirdpartySocialMediameasurersoraggregators,Internetandmobilecompanies,ad-servingorganizationsandothergeneratorsofSocialMediaincidenceinformationandisintendedasaguidetoacceptedpractice.Thesites,applicationsandplatformsforwhichthisdocumentisintendedgenerallyincludethepresenceofsomeformofadvertisingorbrandedcontentorusercommentary(UGC)abouteither.Inthecontextofthisdocument,UGCgenerallyreferstoorganic(definedhereasholisticallysourcedcontentcreatedbyusersandnotpaid)contentgeneratedbypeersorusersofSocialMediaPlatforms.OwnedSocialMediacontentandPaid/SponsoredUGCisspecificallyaddressedseparatelywithinthisdocument.Thisdocumentexcludes“top-down”sources(professionalInfluencers)suchasbloggerswithtopicinfluence.WhileblogsareaviableandvalidaspectofSocialMediaandtheseguidelinescanandshouldbeappliedtoblogmeasurement,uniqueaspectsofblogssuchascontentsourcingandsubscriptionswerenotconsideredherein.SocialMediaInfluencers,asdefinedlaterinthisdocument,areincludedherein.Additionally,marketers,advertisingplannersandbuyerscanusethisdocumenttoassistindetermininghowaccuratelymeasurementparametersareexecuted.Measurementtechniquesbasedonreal-timedatacollectionaswellasperiodic/batchdatacollectionandanalysesareconsideredherein.
1.5 RevisionProcess
TheMRCintendstoestablishanongoingprocesstorefineandmaintaintheseguidelinesinthefuturedrivenbyinformationgatheredfromauditactivitiesaswellasindustryandparticipantfeedback.Weintendforthistotakeplaceatleastannually.
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1.6 Definitions
Authorship:Theoriginalpieceofcontentor,originalactionunrelatedtooriginalcontent(exposuremetricsthatmeasuregeneraluseofSocialMediaPlatforms,withoutengagement).Auto-InitiatedActivity:Activitynotrequiringdirectuserinvolvementincludingauto-playcontentanduser-configuredautomatedactivity.Auto-Initiatedeventsshouldbesegregatedanddescribedforreportingpurposes.BrandAdvocacy:ActivitywherebyausercreatesfavorableUGCaboutabrandorproduct,andthenpassesonpositivemessagesaboutthebrandtootherusers(suchasinarecommendation).ClientSideCounting/UserInitiatedEvents:Countingbasedoneventsoriginatingfromtheuser’sbrowserorothermediaoperatedbytheuserwhichareclosesttotheactualSocialMediaeventbeingmeasured(forexample,countinganeventupontheentryofUGCmeetingrelevantcriteria),whicharefilteredtoexcludeknowninvalidactivity.ContentRedistribution:IntentionalanddirectinteractionwithintentofredistributionorpromotionofcontentoradvertisingbyindividualusersofSocialMediaPlatformstootherusersofSocialMediaplatforms,eitherindividually,toasubsetofusers(friends,followers,etc.)oracrosstheuserbase.Conversion:Thepointatwhicharecipientofanadvertisementperformsadesiredactionsuchasaclick,openingofafileoremail,fillingoutaform,navigatingthroughtoapageormakingapurchase.EarnedMedia:User(consumer)generatedactivitybasedonaccessing,watching,listening,readingorotherwiserespondingtomediaorabrand/productexperience.Engagement:Aspectrumofconsumeradvertisingactivitiesandexperiences(interactionsandinterest)—cognitive,emotional,andphysical.Engagementassumesactiveparticipation,butmayalsodescribeacognitiveoremotionalconnection(suchasinSocialListeningandMonitoringmetricsdescribedbelow),inadditiontoaphysicalaction.Imputation:DatarelevanttoaSocialMediameasuredeventthatdidnotoriginatefromauser,butwasinsteadinferredbasedonotherinformationassociatedwiththateventortheuserorrelatedusers.Imputeddataoriginatesfromthemeasurementorganization,nottheuser.Imputationcanbeareasonableandacceptedstatisticalprocessbuttheassociatedinferencesanddataprocessesshouldbeexaminedforempiricalsupport.Influencers:Userswiththeabilitytoreachotherusersoraffectotherusers’thinkinginasocialonlinecommunity,generallydefinedbythenumberofdirectlyconnectedusersorthesizeofthenetworkofusersassociatedwithanaccount,userorprofile.Aperson,grouporentitywith
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theabilitytoreachandaffectanotherpersonorgroupofpeople’sthinkingandbehaviorduetoattributessuchasexperience,expertise,reputationandsocialfootprint.Interaction:Interactionmetricsincludemeasurementofindividualuserinteraction(generallyquantifiablephysicalormechanicalactionswithcontent)withoriginalcontentoradvertisingonSocialMediaPlatforms.SuchinteractionsmaybeInternal(visibleonlytotheplatformormeasurementorganization),orPublic(visibletooneormoreusersoftheplatform,therebyextendingvisibility).MetricsUnit(Word,Sentence,Post,etc.):Themeasurementbaseforaconsumerlisteningevent.Thisbaseshouldbespecifiedinmeasurementreports.Opinion:Avieworjudgmentformedaboutsomething,notnecessarilybasedonfactorknowledge.Organic:Holisticallysourcedcontentcreatedbyusersandnotpaidorincentivizedbyabrandorothermarketingorganization.OrganicReach:Totaluniquecountofusersexposedtoorganic(unpaid)contentthatincludesonlythoseactualusersexposedtocontentinitsoriginalformat(withinageneralfeed,ticker,page,etc.).OwnedMedia:AmediachannelthatisOwned,andbyimplicationcontrolled,byamediaoutletorbrand;forexample,awebsite,page,account,station(radioortelevision)orapp.OwnedMediashouldbedefinedbytheverticalorcontextofthemeasurement.PaidMedia:Abrandorothermarketingorganizationpaystouseanownedmediaoutlet–ingeneral,advertising,messagingorbrandsponsorshipthatappearsonownedmedia.MayalsobereferredtoasSponsoredMediaornativeadvertisingcontent.PaidReach:Totaluniquecountofusersexposedtopaidcontentoradvertisingthatincludesonlythoseactualusersexposedtocontentinitsoriginalformat(withinageneralfeed,ticker,page,etc.).PotentialReach:ProjectedReach(totalcountofuniqueusers)basedonacountofasubsetofplatformusersoranetworksuchasfriends,followersorfans.PotentialReachshouldbelimitedtouseasaplanningmetriconly(notacurrencymeasurement),however,properlydisclosedandsupportedestimatedactualReachmaybeusedasanevaluationmetricwhereappropriate.Scraping:HarvestingordataextractionwherebysoftwaretechniquesareusedtoextractHTML,non-APIinformationandcontentfrompages,platformsorotherpropertieswherepermissibleintermsandconditions.
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Sentiment:Avieworattitudetowardasituation,experience,event,productorbrand;afeeling,senseoremotionexpressedbyaSocialMediauser.SentimentisacomponentofOpinionandBrandAdvocacy.Sentimentisthefeelingtheauthoristryingtoconvey,oftenmeasuredthroughcontextsurroundingthecharacterizationofanobject.SocialMedia:Created,sharedorexchangedinformation,ideas,contentandopinionsinvirtualcommunitiesandonlinenetworks,includingconversationsaboutorwithabrand.SocialMediaPlatform:Amediavehicle,site(asawholeorinpart),app,widgetorothermediamechanismthathasasocialorientation;specifically,thatcapturesusercommentaryandfacilitatessharingofinformationamongusersofadefinednetwork–i.e.,representingachannelforsharinginformation,opinionsorexperiencesfromusersofthatplatform–orallowscross-usercollaboration.SponsoredMedia:Mediainfluencedbyabrandthroughpaymentorotherincentive,butwherethemessageisnotcontrolledasdirectlyasabrandcreatedadvertisement.Targeting:Technicaloptionsofferedtoadvertiserstoputaspecificadplacementandadtypeinfrontofadefinedaudience.TargetingoptionswithintheSocialMediaenvironmentcanincludelocation,demographics,interestsandbehaviorslikepurchaseactivity.TheoreticalReach:ModeledReach(totalcountofuniqueusers)basedonagrossmultiplierofusers(suchasprojectingpost-addeliverybasedonagrossmultiplierrepresentingsomeestimateofpotentialexposure).TheoreticalReachshouldgenerallybeavoided,particularlyasareportingmetric.ThreadedMessage:Asetofcommunications,entriesoreventsthatarerelatedtoacommonpieceoforiginalcontent.UserGeneratedContent(UGC):Contentthatisentered,copied-to,posted(orotherwisecreated)byusersofaSocialMediaPlatformforsharingwithothersonthatPlatform.Inthecontextofthisdocument,UGCgenerallyreferstoorganic(holisticallysourcedandnotpaidorincentivizedbyabrandorothermarketingorganization)contentgeneratedbypeersorusersofSocialMediaPlatforms.Paid/SponsoredUGCisincluded,butspecificallyaddressedseparatelywithinthisdocument.Thisdocumentexcludes“top-down”sources(professionalinfluencers)suchasbloggerswithtopicinfluence.WhileblogsareaviableandvalidaspectofSocialMediaandtheseguidelinescanandshouldbeappliedtoblogmeasurement,uniqueaspectsofblogssuchascontentsourcingandsubscriptionswerenotconsideredherein.Viral/EarnedReach:TotaluniquecountofactualusersexposedtocontentoradvertisingthatincludesOrganic(Earned)and/orPaid,butalsosubsequentexposureandamplificationresultingfromcontentredistribution(Viralor“virality”;sharing,re-tweeting,etc.).
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2 GeneralMeasurementSocialMediaAudienceActivitySocialMediaAudienceActivitygenerallyconsistsofaccessingorinteractingwithanytypeofcontentand/oradvertising(orotheruser),useractionsrelatedtocontentandcountsofcertaintypesorincidencesofUGConSocialMediaPlatforms.SocialMediaAudienceActivitymayoccurthroughoneormoremechanismssuchasabrowserorabrowserequivalentoranapplicationprogram(an“app”),withinaSocialMediaPlatformandshouldbefilteredtoremoveinvalidactivity(furtherdiscussedbelowandasdefinedbytheMRC’sInvalidTrafficandFiltrationGuidelinesAddendum).CapturingSocialMediaAudienceActivity,orassociatedspecificevents,isthefoundationformeasurementofSocialMedia.Inorderforauser-actiontobeconsideredpartofSocialMediaAudienceActivityitshouldbetrackable/measurable(publiclyorprivately),fallwithinthecampaigntimeperiod(forcampaignleveloradvertisingcounting)ordefinedmeasurementperiodandincludeallvalidtraffic.Examplesoftrackable/measurableuser-actionmayincludeinteraction(clicks,shares,re-tweets,likes,favorites,etc.)withSocialMediacontent,applicationdownloadsorsocialsharesfromabrandwebsitetoSocialMediaPlatforms.BeyondageneraldefinitionofSocialMediaaudienceactivityanarrayofmetricsareproducedwhichresultorarederivedfromthisactivity.Whiletheseguidelinesdonotseektodefineandstandardizeallpossiblemetrics,thebroadSocialMediametriccategoriesarepresentedbelowwithexamplesofavailablemetricswithineachcategory.SomemetricsarespecifictoaSocialMediaPlatform;however,theseguidelinesseektoaddressSocialMediaactivitybroadlyandgenerallytopreserverelevanceoftheirapplicability.Whereapplicableandubiquitous,standarddefinitionsarepresentedbelow.Subsequentsectionspresentguidelineswithregardtomeasurementanddisclosure,whichisintendedtoapplyacrossthesemetricsandcategories.Thespecificassignmentofmetricstocategoriesbelowisnotmeanttobedefinitiveascertainmetricsmayrepresentoneormorecategories,dependingonthemeasuredoruserentity.PointInTimeMeasurementWiththeexceptionofmetricsdesignedtomeasureuseractivitylongitudinally(asdefinedbelow,e.g.duration,completion,etc.)manySocialMediametricsinvolvesmeasurementofcountsatapointintime.SocialMediaisdynamicandfluidandcertainactivitydiscussedfurtherbelowmayeitherbesubsequentlydeletedor“undone”aftermeasurementofthem(suchasun-liking,un-following,etc.).Measurersshoulddevelopconsistentmethodologiesforcountingsuchmetricsatoneormorepointsintimeandfullydisclosetherulesapplied,thetimeperiodofmeasurementandthelimitationsofsuchtechniquesinrelatedreportingandmethodologicaldisclosures.
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Shillingvs.OwnedContentandPaid/SponsoredUGCReportingShillingGoodfaithattemptsshouldbemadebythemeasurementorganizationtoidentifyandsegregate“shilling”,orpaid/incentivizedbrowsingoractivitywiththeexpressintenttoinflatemeasurement,withinSocialMediaactivityandUGC.Suchinstancesofshillingmaynotbereadilyidentifiableandmaybeintentionallyobfuscated(suchasinthecaseoftheuseofsoftwaretomasktheidentityofcontentoriginators).IfameasurerisdirectlyawareofshillingwithinUGCcontent,theseinstancesshouldberemovedwhereknown.OwnedContentorPaid/SponsoredContentUseractivitygeneratedfromexposuretoandengagementwithOwnedContentorPaid/SponsoredUGC(suchasPaidBrandAdvocacyorInfluencers)isvalid.Suchactivityshouldbedisclosedandsegregatedinreportingfromactivityassociatedwithbrandedcontent(adsoutsideofOwnedchannels)asthenatureofthecontent,thedisproportionateinvolvementofconsumersandtheimpactofthemeasurementmaydiffer.ThisincludesactivitygeneratedfromSponsored/PaidBrandAdvocacyorInfluencersandtheactivityofOwnedchannelsandassociateduseraccounts(definedbelow).However,theinitial(seeAuthorship;definedbelow)OwnedContentorPaid/SponsoredUGCactivityshouldnotbecountedinreportedmeasurement.However,subsequentexposuretoorengagementwiththisinitialactivitybyotherplatformusersshouldbereported,butsegregatedfromorganicmeasurement.DistinguishingIn-Feed,NativeorPaid/SponsoredContentPaid/SponsoredcontentappearingonaSocialMediaPlatform(oftenreferredtoasNativeorIn-Feed)shouldbeclearlylabeledinamannerthatallowsareasonableconsumertodistinguishbetweenwhatispaidadvertisingandwhatisUserGeneratedContent.Furthermore,inorderforameasurertosupportidentificationofPaid/SponsoredContentasrequiredabove,SocialMediaPlatformsmustspecifycontentassuchviapubliclyavailableAPIs.
2.1 Authorship
Theoriginalpieceofcontentororiginalactionunrelatedtooriginalcontent(exposuremetricsthatmeasuregeneraluseofSocialMediaPlatforms,withoutengagement)asmeasuredbyaplatform,publisherorthirdpartysuchas:
Completion(pageandauto-playvideo)CountsPageVisitsPosts1
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Shares(originalAuthorshipsuchasslideshares)1TimeSpentMetrics(includingauto-playvideoduration)1Tweets1 ViewableImpressions
1:Thesemetricsmayalsobeusedasmeasuresofengagementwhenpresent.
SubsequentEngagementandReachmetricsaredirectlyrelatedtoandderivedfromoriginalAuthorship.Authorshipmetricsshouldserveascurrency,baselinemetricsforSocialMediameasurement.
TheMRCandIABhavepublishedcertainguidelinesapplicabletoimpressionmeasurementacrossdigitalmediaincludingdisplay,video,richmediaandmobile(webandin-app).Thisdocumentisnotintendedtosupersedethoseguidelines.Instead,SocialMediameasurersshouldapplythoseguidelinesasapplicablebasedonadvertisingplacementtype.Furthermore,theMRChaspublishedguidelinesrelatedtoviewableimpressions,whichlikewise,shouldbeappliedaccordingly.Itisexpectedthatspecificusecasesrelatedtoimpressionandviewableimpressioncountingsuchasmobileviewability,in-feed,in-streamandnativeadvertisingmeasurementwillbeaddressedasupdatesoraddendatothosepre-existingguidelines.ItissuggestedthatViewableImpressionsserveasabaselinecurrencymetricformeasuringExposureonSocialMediaPlatforms.Finally,varioususerattributesanddataheuristicsmaybeusedtofurtherclassifyexposuremetricsasactivevs.passive(hovers,scrolls,dwelltime,etc.).Suchmethodsshouldbeempiricallysupportableandanyuserattributesorheuristicsusedshouldbeabletobedemonstratedtoserveasaproxyorindicatorforactivityorattention.
2.2 Engagement
Generally,perIABdefinitionreferencedbelow,aspectrumofconsumeractivitiesandexperiences(interactionsandinterest)—cognitive,emotional,andphysical.Engagementassumesactiveparticipation,butmayalsodescribeacognitiveoremotionalconnection(suchasinSocialListeningandMonitoringmetricsdescribedbelow),inadditiontoaphysicalaction.Thisdocumentbreaksengagementintothefollowingcategories:(1)Interaction,(2)ContentRedistribution,and(3)AdvocacyandInfluence.Measurersareencouragedtoreferenceandadopttheapplicablegeneralmetricdefinitions(includingEngagement)publishedbytheIABincollaborationwiththe4AsandtheANA;DefiningandMeasuringDigitalAdEngagementinaCross-PlatformWorld:
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2.2.1 Interaction
Interactionmetricsincludemeasurementofindividualuserinteraction(generallyquantifiablephysicalormechanicalactionswithcontent)withoriginalcontentoradvertisingonSocialMediaPlatforms.SuchinteractionsmaybeInternal(visibleonlytotheplatformormeasurementorganization),orPublic(visibletooneormoreusersoftheplatform,therebyextendingvisibility)andinclude:Internal:Clicks(guidelinesexist:ClickMeasurementGuidelines)Completion(postclickorinitiation)ConversionDirectMessagesDownloadsDuration(postclickorinitiation)InstallsSaves(includingvideo“watchlater”functionality)SwipesTimeSpentMetrics(excludingauto-playvideodurationwithoutphysicalengagement)TapsOtheractionstaken(votes,redemptions,etc.) Public:+1sCheckInsComments(CountsorUGC)FavoritesFollowsHeartsHashtags1LikesMentions1PostPinsRatingsReplies(CountsorUGC)SubscribesTagging1ThumbsUp1PublicInteractionmetricssuchasHashTags,MentionsandTaggingwithintenttore-distributecontent(wheremeasurablequantitativelyorempirically)mayalsobecategorizedasContentRedistributionmetrics.
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2.2.2 ContentRedistribution:
IntentionalanddirectinteractionwithintentofredistributionorpromotionofcontentoradvertisingbyindividualusersofSocialMediaPlatformstootherusersofSocialMediaplatforms,eitherindividually,toasubsetofusers(friends,followers,etc.)oracrosstheuserbase.
ContentredistributionbynatureisaformofPublicengagement.TheextentthatPublicContentRedistributionmetricsarecompiledthatrepresentonetoonevisibility(limitedtotwousers)shouldbeclearlydefined,labeledandsegregatedfrommorewidelyPublic(visibletoanetworkofusersorallusers)metrics.Wherepossible,theintentoftheinteraction(onetoone,ormorewidelyPublic)shouldbegauged(supportedempiricallywithconsiderationtoprivacyrestrictionsoftheplatform)andfactoredintothemeasurementmethodology.
Theseinclude:
Emailing1Embeds2HashtagsLinking1MentionsRe-blogsRe-pinsRe-postsRe-tweetsRe-vinesSharesTagging
1GenerallyconsideredforemailingorlinkingfromwithinaSocialMediaPlatformthatcanbedirectlymeasured(asopposedtocopyingorsharingoflinksoutsideoftheplatform[alsoreferredtoas“darksocial”activity]wheremeasurementmaybelimited).Suchmetricsshouldbeaccompaniedbycleardefinitionanddescriptionofcapabilitiesandlimitations.2Embeds,orcopyingthesourcecodeoforiginalcontent(Authorship)andincorporatingorembeddingitintositesorplatformsotherthantheplatformfromwhichtheyoriginated,isaformofContentRedistribution.However,asthisactiongenerallyinvolvessitesorplatformsthatmaybeexternalfromtheoriginalplatform,measurementofactivityassociatedwithembedsoutsideoftheoriginalSocialMedia
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Platformmayrequirespecialdisclosureandreportingsuchasdiscretereporting(atthesiteorplatformlevel)andsegmentationfromAuthorshipordirectEngagement.Theabovemetricsmayalsobereportedbasedondepth(iterativeorcascading)andalternateplatformsourceordestination(contentredistributionbetweendifferentplatforms)withappropriatedisclosureanddefinition.SeeSection4.2.2ofthisdocumentforfurtherguidanceonthreadedoroverlappingcontentanddownstreamediting.
2.2.3 AdvocacyandInfluence:
BrandAdvocacyisactivitywherebyausercreatesfavorablecontentaboutabrandorproduct,andthenpassesonpositivemessagesaboutthebrandtootherusers(suchasinarecommendation).DefinitionofAdvocacyshouldbeconsistentandempiricallysupportedbasedoncontextofthemediabeingmeasured(vertical)andtheactivitiesgenerated.Influencersareuserswiththeabilitytoreachotherusersoraffectotherusers’thinkinginasocialonlinecommunity,generallydefinedbythenumberofdirectlyconnectedusersorthesizeofthenetworkofusersassociatedwithanaccount,userorprofile.DefinitionofInfluenceshouldbeconsistentandcouldbeempiricallysupportedbasedonsomequantitativemeasure,usuallythetoppercentileofReach,connectedusers(friends,followers,etc.)oractivity(interactionorengagementwithcontent).Influencersmayalsobeaperson,grouporentitywiththeabilitytoreachandaffectanotherpersonorgroupofpeople’sthinkingandbehaviorduetoattributessuchasexperience,expertise,reputationandsocialfootprint.Asaresult,determinationofInfluencemayalsobebasedonqualitativefactorswherebyabsolutethresholdsaremoredifficulttodefine.Furtherthequalityofwhatcontentoruser(s)arebeinginfluencedmayimpacttheusefulnessofInfluencemetrics.ThesefactorsshouldbeconsideredwhendefiningandmeasuringInfluenceandassociatedassumptionsorlimitationsofthismeasurementshouldbedisclosed.BothAdvocacyandInfluencecanbespecifictoamediatype,brandorplatform,andcanbeexplicitorimplicitbutinallcases,thedefinitionandbasisshouldbeclearlydisclosedwithreportedmetricsandwithininmethodologicaldescriptions.LikeallotherSocialMediametricsandasdiscussedabove,measurersshouldseektoincludeonlyOrganicorEarnedactivityassociatedwithAdvocacyandInfluence.Authorshipofcontent(initialactivitygeneratedaspartofOwnedchannelsorPaid/Sponsoredsitesorusers)shouldnotbeincludedinreportedmetrics(subsequent
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EngagementwiththisAuthorshipisvalidandreportable).However,exposuretoorengagementwiththisactivityshouldbereportedonasegregatedbasis. SocialListeningandMonitoring:SocialMediametricsaimedatmeasuringqualitativeaspectsofactivitysuchas:
IntentOpinionSemantics(usermeaningandrelevance)Sentiment(mayhavequantitativeaspects)
BrandTrackingSocialMediametricsaimedatmeasuringbrandperformanceandhealth,suchas:
BrandHealthMetricsLoyaltyResonance
WhilemuchoftheguidancecontainedwithinthisdocumentmaybeappliedacrossSocialMediameasurementingeneral(includingSocialListeningandMonitoringaswellasBrandTracking),duetothequalitativenatureofmanyofthesemetrics,thisdocumentisnotintendedtostandardizeormandatedefinitionofengagementwithregardtoqualitativemeasurement.Additionally,someSocialListeningandMonitoringmetrics(suchasBrandAwarenessandRecall)maybederivedfromofflinesurveys(responsesurveys)asopposedtodigitalcensusmeasurement.Suchofflinesurveysshouldbesubjecttocertainqualityparametersincluding,butnotlimitedto,theMRCMinimumStandards(specificallywithregardtosamplerepresentation,reductionofbiasandsampleperformanceandresponserateaswellasempiricalsupportofanyestimation,dataadjustmentandmodeling).However,measurersandusersofSocialListeningandMonitoringaswellasBrandTrackingdataareencouragedtoconsiderthedisclosureguidancecontainedinSection7.0andthroughoutthisdocumenttopromotetransparencyandeducationaroundthemeaninganduseofsuchmeasures.Forfurtherguidanceonengagement,seeDefiningandMeasuringDigitalAdEngagementinaCross-PlatformWorld,adocumentauthoredbytheIABincollaborationwiththe4A’sandtheANArelatedtoMakingMeasurementMakeSense(3MS).SocialListeningandMonitoringorBrandTrackingisgenerallynotprojectabletotheopinionofallusers.Thelimitationsandunderlyingassumptionsofsuchdatashouldbe
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clearlydisclosed.PrimaryResearchmaybedonetoaccompanytheSocialListeningandMonitoringorBrandTrackingtooffsetsomeoftheselimitations.
2.3 Reach
Reachisdefinedhereasthetotalunique(deduplicated)countofusersexposedtoorganic(unpaid)contentoradvertising.SocialMediaReachthatincludesonlythoseactualusersexposedtocontentinitsoriginalformat(withinageneralfeed,ticker,page,etc.)isoftenreferredtoasOrganicReach.Totaluniquecountofusersexposedtopaidcontentoradvertisingthatincludesonlythoseactualusersexposedtocontentinitsoriginalformat(withinageneralfeed,ticker,page,etc.)isoftenreferredtoasPaidReach.
SocialMediaReachthatincludesOrganicand/orPaid,butalsosubsequentexposureandamplificationresultingfromcontentredistribution(sharing,re-tweeting,etc.)isoftenreferredtoasEarnedorViralReach.
CertainSocialMediameasurersmodel,imputeorprojectPotentialReachbasedonthenetworkofthoseactuallyexposedtocontent.ProjectedReachbasedonacountofasubsetofplatformusersoranetworksuchasfriends,followersorfans,isreferredtoasPotentialReachthroughoutthisdocument.Ifnecessary,PotentialReachshouldbelimitedtouseasaplanningmetriconly(notacurrencymeasurement).MeasurersofPotentialReachmayutilizealgorithmstodivideorsegmentanetworkofusersintothosemorelikelytobeexposedtocontent.Whenempiricallysupported,thesedivisionsofPotentialReachmaybeutilized,butshouldbeclearlydefinedandlabeled.ProperlydisclosedandsupportedestimatedactualReachmaybeusedasanevaluationmetricwhereappropriate.
ModeledReachbasedonagrossmultiplierofusersisoftenreferredtoasTheoreticalReach(suchasprojectingpost-addeliverybasedonagrossmultiplierrepresentingsomeestimateofpotentialexposure).TheoreticalReachshouldbeavoidedasitmayresultinunreliable,inconsistentandinaccurateestimates.Again,MRCandIABguidelinesexistwithregardtoAudienceReach.Furthermore,theMRCintendstoestablishdigitalaudience-basedcurrencyguidelines.WhileSocialMediameasurersshouldapplythoseguidelines,thisdocumentprovidesfurtherguidancewithregardtoReachmeasurementacrossSocialMediaPlatforms(seeSection4.1.3ofthisdocument).Validcomparisonsofdifferentplatform-specificReachmetricsmaybeperformedwherethesemetricsarewithinthesameReachcategoryandrepresentthesamelevelofuseractivityorengagement.Suchvalidcomparisonsmaybeusedforreportingrelativeperformanceacrossplatforms.
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2.4 CostMetrics
PaidmediapresentwithinSocialMediaPlatformsmayalsoallowpost-level(afterconsumptionorengagement)metricsderivedfromthecostofadvertisingplacementascomparedtootherSocialMediametrics(exposure,engagement,Reach,etc.),suchas: Conversions Costper(CPM,CPC,CostperEngagementetc.)
2.5 DemographicsandTargeting
Theabovemetricsmaybereportedonthebasisofdemographiccategoryforgeneralreportingortargeting,whichcanbeobtainedorassignedusinganumberoftechniques(registrationdata,panelorsamplebasedmeasurement,acombinationofdirectmeasurementtechniquesandmodelingorattribution,etc.).
ThebasisusedtomeasureandreportdemographicdatashouldbefullydisclosedaspartofaDescriptionofMethodologyanddemographiccategoriesshouldbeconsistentandclearlydisclosed.Relevantstandards(e.g.,MRCMinimumStandardsandDataIntegrationGuidelinesaswellasIABAudienceReach)shouldbeconsideredwhendesigningandevaluatingthedemographictechniquesused.
Limitationsofthedemographictechniquesandapplicablequalityorperformancemetrics(forsampleorpanelapproaches)relatedtothemshouldbefullydisclosedtousersofthedata.Forregistrationdata,collectionandupdatepoliciesshouldbefullydisclosedincludingifconductedthroughuseofathirdpartydataenrichmentprovider.Furthermore,organizationsutilizingregistrationinformationforlocationarestronglyencouragedtodevelopstronglogicchecksandinspectiontechniquesandconsiderexistingdatacollectionguidance(e.g.,CRE,etc.).
3 SocialMediaCoverageandBasisforProjection
3.1 Internet/MobileInternetUsers–Universe
ItiscriticalthattheimpactofreportedSocialMediameasurementsbeappropriatelysized.Sizingisdependentonplatformpenetration,datacollectionmethodandthenatureofrepresentationassociatedwiththatmethod.InmanycasesSocialMediameasurementsshouldonlybereportedasgrossactivity,essentiallyrepresentingthenumberofoccurrencesofacertainconditionthatwereencounteredwithintheplatform–forexample,projectionisnotappropriatewhenonlyasubsetofdataisreceivedorcollectedfromaplatformacrossthereportingperiod.
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However,insomecaseswhendatacollectionmethodsjustifywidersizing,measurementscanbeprojectedorindexedtototalplatformusersorinternet/mobile/tabletusers(asapplicable)ortoevenawiderbase,suchastotalcountrypopulation.
Furthermore,mediatypeorcategorysizingshouldbeconsistentandclearlydefinedwithinplatformmeasurementwhenutilizingthisasabasisforindexingorprojection.Sizingandrelativemeasuresmayalsobereportedonaweightedorscaledbasisasrelatedtotheobjectiveormeasurement(intendedaudienceorcontext),withclearandobjectivedefinition.
Ineithercasethebasisforprojectionshouldbespecifiedinreports(orifnoprojectionexists),andthesupportforthisprojectionmethodshouldbespecifiedinthedescriptionofmethodologyofthemeasurer.Forcross-mediacomparisons,thisguidelinerequiresatotalpopulation,ortotaladultpopulation(dependingonSocialMediaPlatform)projection,andnotaplatformcoverageuniverse.Additionally,validcomparisonsofdifferentplatform-specificmetricsmaybeperformedwherethesemetricsarewithinthesamecategory(discussedinSection2ofthisdocument;e.g.LikestoFavoritesto+1s,etc.)andrepresentthesamelevelofuseractivityorengagement.Suchvalidcomparisonsmaybeusedforreportingrelativeperformanceacrossplatforms.
3.2 CompatibilityorMeasurementLimitations
IncaseswherethemeasurerandtheirmeasurementtechniquesortheSocialMediaPlatform’sprovideddata(adirectorperiodicdatastreamprovidedbytheSocialMediaPlatform)islimitedtoonlyasub-setofpotentialusers’activity(forexample,notinclusiveofcertaintypesofdevices,notinclusiveofexternalactivitysuchasemailingorcopyinglinksoutsideoftheSocialMediaPlatform(alsoknownas“darksocial”)ornotinclusiveofcertaintypesofoperatingsystems,browsersorappversions,theselimitationsshouldbefullyandprominentlydisclosed,ifmaterial(typically,greaterthan5%inaggregate).
Activitycapturedfrompartialdatastreams,forexample,datastreamsnotrepresentingtheentireuser-baseoftheplatform,shouldbedisclosedandappropriatelysized.
3.3 TrackingSocialMediaExposuresOutsideofApplications
ForSocialMediathatisaccessedoutsideofanapplication(regardlessofuserdevice),ormorespecifically,whentrackingisconductedthroughabrowseroremail,itiscriticaltocaptureinformationrelatedtotheSocialMediaPlatformforreportingpurposes.ThiswillassistinassigningSocialMediaactivitybyplatformandfacilitatethecombiningofmeasuresacrossbrowseroremailaccessedmediawithothermethodssuchasapps(whichmaynaturallyindicatetheplatform)orgames.Additionally,datashouldbecollectedwherepossiblethat
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allowsthemeasurertodeduplicatemeasurementordetermine“uniques”(seeSection4.1.2forfurtherdetail).Gross,unduplicatedmetricsresultingfromloggedoutactivityorthatoutsideofapplicationsshouldbefullydisclaimed.
AsdiscussedinSection2.2.3,someSocialListeningandMonitoringmetricsmaybederivedfromofflinesurveys(responsesurveys)asopposedtodigitalcensusmeasurement.Suchofflinesurveysshouldbesubjecttocertainqualityparametersincluding,butnotlimitedto,theMRCMinimumStandards(specificallywithregardtosamplerepresentation,reductionofbiasandsampleperformanceandresponserateaswellasempiricalsupportofanyestimation,dataadjustmentandmodeling).
3.4 SocialMediaApplications
SocialMediaapplications(apps)comeinnumerousforms,butessentiallyrepresentclosedlogicalenvironmentswithspecifiedcontrolsandfunctionalitywheretheusercanaccessandgenerateSocialMediacontent.
TheIAB,MRCandtheMMA(MobileMarketingAssociation),haveproducedaguidelineforthemeasurementofadvertisinginanapplicationenvironment.Whilethisguidancegenerallyappliestoadimpressions,theSocialMediameasurerthatconductsbusinessinapplicationenvironmentsshouldconsidertheprovisionscontainedinthisguideline.Thefollowingarekeyaspectstoconsider(adaptedfromtheIn-AppGuidelinefortheSocialMediaenvironment):
PhysicalandLogicalAppEnvironmentPhysicalattributesoftheadvertisement,SocialMediaeventorUGCspaceanalyzed,andtheplacementofthesewithintheapplicationshouldbedisclosed;thisdisclosurecanbemadeaspartofinitiatingthemeasurementproductwiththemediaoutlet,advertisingagencyorbuyer.Additionally,anyvariableexposureattributessuchasadsizeoftheadvertisingduringtheapplicationsessionortheUGCopportunitiesinvolvedshouldbedescribed.Measurementeventsshouldnotbecountedifoccludedorotherwiseexposure,sharingordistributionisimpairedinasignificantmanner.EventbasedSocialMediainstancesshouldbedescribedintermsofattributesandtriggercriteria.TheSocialMediameasurementorganizationworkingwithapps(includinggames)shouldhavesufficientcontrolsorassurancetodeterminethat:
• Theapplicationwasdownloaded,openedandinitializedasdesignedonthatClient
UserpriortothemeasuredSession.• Theapplicationitselfwasfunctioningasintendedduringthesession.SocialMedia
activityassociatedwith“faulted”conditions(situationsoffunctionalityissueswiththeapplication,errorsornon-workingconditions)shouldbetrackedandsegregatedfromactivityinfullyfunctioningenvironments.
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MeasurementConditionswithintheAppChangesinpageorientationduringapplicationusecanbetrackedasanativeorSDKfunction,however,thisgenerallydoesnotaltertheparametersforcountingSocialMediaactivity,excepttotheextentitmaychangethesizeofUGCorrelevanttext(forexample,whichmaycauseviewableparameterstobemoreorlessdifficulttoachieve).
Instanceswhereusersareencounteringapplication-loadingscreensaregenerallynotcountedasapplicationactivity,noristheloadingdurationconsideredin-appduration.IncertaininstancestheseloadingscreenscancontainadvertisingmessagesorSocialMediarelevantcontent.Ingeneral,theseimpressionsoranyothermeasuredactivityassociatedwithloadingscreens(e.g.,duration,mouseactivity,etc.)shouldbesegregatedforreportingpurposesfromactualapplicationuseandadvertisingconsumedduringtheapplication’suserexperience.
MeasurementOrientationswithanAppApplicationtransactionrecords,whichcontainevidenceofSocialMediaexposureorrelevantSocialMediaevents,canbederivedandtransmittedtotheapplicationmeasurementorganization:(1)onareal-timebasisduringapplicationexecution,(2)inbatchedgroupsthataretransmittedperiodically(inwholeorinpart)duringanon-lineapplicationSessionor,(3)firststoredduringoff-lineapplicationuseandlatertransmittedduringasubsequenton-lineSession(notnecessarilyassociatedwiththesameapplication)oftheapplicableClient-User.Insituationswheretheconnectionspeedoftheclient-usercanimpactcountingeffectiveness,scrapingeffectivenessorthecountedactivityitself,theapplicationdeveloperorSDKdeveloper,ifapplicable,shouldmakereasonableeffortstoensurecountingisaccurate.Editinganderrorhandlingrulesshouldbedevelopedtodetect,segregateandreportcountingsituationswithsuspectaccuracyrelatedtoconnectionspeed.
ControlswithinAppsOriginatedbytheMeasurer(orRelied-OnbytheMeasurer)Thegeneralinternalcontrolspresentattheorganizationthatdevelopsorapprovestheapplicationforreleaseareacriticalcomponentoftheoveralloperatingeffectivenessofmeasurementassociatedwiththeapplication.Thesecontrolsdonothavetonecessarilyresideattheoriginalapplicationdevelopment/programmingfacility;however,certainlevelsofqualitycontrolshouldbepresentatsomestageofapplicationrollout.Ultimately,itistheresponsibilityoftheSocialMediameasurementorganizationtoensurethatpropertestingandreleaseprocessesarefollowedandthatcontrolleddevelopmentprocesseswereemployedinbuildingtheoriginalapplication.
Ingeneral,theSocialMediameasurementorganizationthatreliesonappsshouldhavesufficientcontrolstoensure:
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• Developmentofandchangestoapplicationsareauthorized,testedandapprovedpriortobeingrolledoutforUserdownload(release).Segregationofversionsshouldbemaintainedwheremeasurementfunctionalityhasbeenchanged.
• AccesstoapplicationsoftwareassociatedwithadvertisingorUGCscraping/capture,storageofads,adorUGCplacementandservingfunctionalityisrestrictedtoauthorizedpersonnel(nonUser)andprograms.Usersshouldnothavetheabilitytoalterappfunctionalityinthisarea.
• User-setparametersthatrelatetomeasuredeventsaredocumented,recordedandincludedindatatransmissionsbacktothemeasurementorganizationifchanged.
• Theapplicationisdocumented,andmeasurementassociatedfunctionalityisdocumented.
• Onlyauthorizedformattedcontentisacceptedasinputbytheapplication,regardlessofwhetherthatcontentisenteredreal-timeorstoredforlateruse.
• Anycalculationsordataaccumulationprocesseswithintheapplicationhavebeentestedforefficacy.
• Datatransmissionsfromapplications(whetherreal-timeorbatched)arecomplete,accurateandprotectedfrommodification.
• Errorsandmeasured-eventrelateddatarejectedforqualitypurposesislogged,evidencesupportingtheerrorisretainedanderrorsarefollowedupontocorrectpotentialcasesofsystematicorrecurringissues.
InSDKorientedmeasurementenvironments,theapplicationdeveloperorsellershouldhavesufficientconfidencethattheabovecontrolsaremaintainedfortheSDKfunctionality.Developmentofthisconfidencecanencompassaperiodicreviewand/ortestingconductedbytheapplicationdeveloper,inwhichcasetheapplicationdeveloperthenistakingresponsibilityforthecontrolsattheSDKdeveloper.AnotherapproachisfortheSDKdevelopertobeauditedbyathirdpartywithsomeformofobservableassuranceprovidedsuchascertification,accreditationorathird-partyCPAattestation.Inthislattercase,iftheapplicationdeveloperislookingtobecomecertifiedoraccredited,theauditingorganizationcanbuildacaseforrelyingoftheSDKprovider’sassurance(dependingonconditionsofthatassurance).
ProvidedDataStreamsversusIn-AppMeasurementInsomecases,measurementorganizationswillreceivedatadirectlyfromtheSocialMediaPlatformineitherareal-timeorbatchenvironmentsuchasviaanAPIorfirehosedata.Thisnecessitatesadifferentanalysisworkflowandlevelofintegration(lesserintegration)fromthosemeasurementfunctionsthatareintegratedwithorintotheapplicationitself–collectingdatadirectly–whicharedescribedabove.InsituationswheredataisreceiveddirectlyfromtheSocialMediaPlatform,othercontrolsapply.Specificallythemeasurementorganizationshouldhavecontrolsthatensure:
• Anunderstandingoftheprocessesusedtocreatethetransferreddata.
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• Anunderstandingofthemeaningofthedatafieldstransferred.• Completenessofthedatatransferred,andcontinuoustime-periodsfromtransferto
transfer.• Datachecksforlogicalconsistencyandappropriatefieldcontents.• Back-upandrecoveryprocessesfortransferreddata.• Anunderstandingofthecompletenessofthedatatransferred,andifincompleteor
asubsetthenatureofthemissingdata.• Forreal-timecollectionprocesses,processesthatensuretransfercompletenessin
theeventoflostconnections.Furthermore,inorderforameasurertosupportidentificationofPaid/SponsoredContentasrequiredbythisdocument,SocialMediaPlatformsmustspecifycontentassuchviapubliclyavailableAPIs.MobileViewabilityAsdiscussedabove,theMRChaspublishedguidelinesrelatedtodesktopviewableimpressions,whichshouldbeappliedaccordingly.Itisexpectedthatspecificusecasesrelatedtoimpressionandviewableimpressioncountingsuchasmobileviewability,in-feed,in-streamandnativeadvertisingmeasurementwillbeaddressedasupdatesoraddendatothosepre-existingguidelines.However,thedesktopviewabilityguidelinesdonotdirectlyaddressmobileviewability(weborin-app).TheMRCintendstopublishguidelinesspecifictoviewabilitymeasurementinmobileenvironments.Likewise,itisexpectedthatSocialMediameasurersconsidertheseguidelinesforviewabilitymeasurementofSocialMediainamobileenvironment.
3.5 UsageRestrictions,IfAny
UsagerestrictionswithSocialMediadatathatimpactmeasurementorgroupstobemeasuredshouldbefullydisclosedandifpossible,quantified.Arelevantexampleofthiswouldbeagerestrictionsorotherlimitationsforparticipationbyminorpersons(orotherdemographicinformation/originofuser)suchasCOPPArestrictions.
4 SocialMediaActivityMeasurementSpecifics
4.1 TrackingofUsersAccessingContent–TechnicalDetails
Example:QuantifyingusersaccessingorotherwisepotentiallyinfluencedbySocialMediaUGC,postingsorotherevents.
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4.1.1 ClientSide(andViewable):
AllusertrackingassociatedwithSocialMediameasurementshouldbemeasuredbasedonclientsideactivityoractualusereventsfromuserdevices,filteredtoexcludeknowninvalidactivityandinsofarasapplicableviewableeventsonlyshouldbecounted.
4.1.2 TrackingMethod
ThespecifictrackingmethodandcountingassetsusedbytheSocialMediameasurementorganizationshouldbefullydisclosedinthedescriptionofmethodologyandmayinclude,butarenotlimitedto:
Ad/AssetTagsCommunicationBasedMeasurement(Redirects)OnlineorOfflineSurveysPageImplementationsPlayerPlug-InsScripts
Specificmachinebasedtrackingofusers–suchasuniquebrowsersorcookies–shouldbespecifiedanddistinguishedfromactualuserbasedtracking(whichrequiresmoreadvancedadjustments,registration,etc.).
De-duplicationofusertracking(into“uniques”)forreachmeasurementsisdesirable–butisrecognizedtobeadifficultmetrictocaptureaccurately.Ifameasureislabeled“unique”de-duplicationisrequired.Itiscriticalthatthoroughdescriptionsofhow“users”areactuallydeterminedandhowde-duplicationduringmeasurementperiodsisaccomplishedareprovidedtousersofuniqueusermeasurements.WerefertheuseroftheseguidelinestopriorIABguidanceonAudienceReachMeasurementswithregardtothehierarchyofuniquemetrics(cookies,browsers,etc.).Trackingmethodsshouldbesubjecttointernaltestingandvalidationuponoriginalimplementationaswellasperiodicinternalverificationtesting.Trackingmethodsanddisclosureswillbethesubjectofintenseproceduralverificationifexternalcertificationissoughtbythemeasurementorganization.
4.1.3 ProjectionorOtherEstimationMethods,IncludingInferences
Projection,imputationorotherdataadjustmentsmadetotrackingmeasurementsbytheSocialMediameasurementorganizationshallbefullydescribed,basedonsystematicandreasonableproceduresandshouldbesupportedbyunderlyingempiricalstudies.Asageneralrule,activityshouldnotbeattributedtoaSocialMediauserwithoutdirectevidenceofsuchactivitysuchasassumptionsofactivityorfans/followersorTheoreticalReachmultipliers.SocialMediameasurersandresearchersare
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encouragedtopublicallycirculaterelevantresearchsupportinganyassumptionsinthiscontext,whichcanbecompliedandlinkedtoaspartoffutureiterationsofthisdocument.
Readersoraccesstocontentshouldnotbeassumedbasedonmereusersofaplatform;actualtransactionalevidenceofcontentconsumptionshouldbeusedasabasisformeasurement.Inferencesbasedonbrandspecificsubsetsofthetotaluserpopulation(fansorfollowers)shouldnotbeappliedtothetotalpopulation.Suchinferencesshouldalsobedisclosed.BaselinemetricsutilizedforOrganic,PaidandEarnedReachshouldbeclearlydisclosedandconsistentacrossmediacategoriesandtypeswithinaplatform.Ifnecessary,PotentialReachcouldbeusedasaplanningmetric(notacurrencymeasurement),butshouldbelimitedtoplanningcircumstancesonlyandthebasisforsuchmeasurementaswellastheinherentlimitationsshouldbefullydisclosed.MeasurersofPotentialReachmayutilizealgorithmstodivideorsegmentanetworkofusersintothosemorelikelytobeexposedtocontent.Whenempiricallysupported,thesedivisionsofPotentialReachmaybeutilized,butshouldbeclearlydefinedandlabeled.However,properlydisclosedandsupportedestimatedactualReachmaybeusedasanevaluationmetricwhereappropriate.TheoreticalReachingeneralshouldbeavoidedformediaplanningorbuying.Ifpresentfordirectionalanalysis(non-transactionalandnon-currency),thebasisforprojectionusedinTheoreticalReachshouldbefullydisclosedanddisclaimedaswellassupportedbasedonsystematicandreasonableproceduresandunderlyingempiricalstudies.Furthermore,underlyingmodelassumptionsshouldbefullydescribed.GrossmultipliersusedforderivingTheoreticalReachwithoutempiricalsupportshouldnotbeusedforanypurpose.SeeSection4.4ofthisdocumentforguidancewithregardtofrequencycappingthatmayimpactReachmetrics.
4.1.4 MetricsandKeyAttributes
MetricsanddefinitionsofattributesofkeymetricsshallbedisclosedbytheSocialMediameasurementorganization.Importantmetricdefinitionsshouldappearonorwithineasyaccessfromthereportscontainingthemeasurementdata.Measuredunits,forexample,viewableimpressionsorviewsofUGCorotheractions(forexample,“likes”)shouldbedefinedandshouldconformtocommonindustryaccepteddefinitionstothefullestextentpossible.
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4.1.5 DifferencesbyPlatform
AnydifferencesinprocessesormeasurementmethodologybySocialMediaplatformshallbedisclosed.ThisisarelevantissuewhenestimatesorcomparisonsarereportedacrossSocialMediaplatformsorwhenthemeasurercombinesplatforms.
4.2 UserGeneratedContent(UGC)Analysis–TechnicalDetails
Example:SortingthroughoranalyzingUGC,generallyusingmachine-basedprocessesandlearning,tofindbrandmentionsorothereventsconsideredmeaningful,andseekingtodeterminethecontextandsentimentofthecontentofthepost.Also,determiningcontextandmeaningofsubsequentthreadedpostings.
Inadditiontotheguidelinesinsection4.1above(whichshouldbeappliedtoSocialMediameasurementbasedonUGC),thefollowingadditionalconsiderationsshouldbeconsidered:
4.2.1 TrackingMethod
ThespecificcollectionmethodandwordorcontentrecognitionprocessesusedbytheSocialMediameasurementorganizationshouldbefullydisclosedinthedescriptionofmethodologyandmayinclude,butarenotlimitedto:
APIDirectMeasurementMachineLearningOfflineExportPartnerDataScraping(wherepermissiblebytermsandconditions)Third-PartyTracking
Specificmachinebasedprocesses(andlearningfunctions)forgatheringofUGCwordsorkeywords,numberofmentionsoreventsshouldbedisclosed.Datacollectionmethodsshouldbesubjecttointernaltestingandvalidationuponoriginalimplementationaswellasperiodicinternalverificationtesting.Thistestingshouldincludethevalidityofthecontextandsentimentmeasures.Datacollectionmethodsanddisclosureswillbethesubjectofintenseproceduralverificationifexternalcertificationissoughtbythemeasurementorganization.Thecontentsourceshouldbeclearlydefinedandscopedinthemeasurementservice’sdisclosures,forexample:
• Whattypeofcontentiscapturedfromwhatplatform• Usercoverageformeasuredplatforms
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• Collectionmethod(direct,API,offlineexport,partner,third-party,scraping,etc.)
• APItypewhereapplicable(public,closedclient,platformorfirehose)• Depthofcontentcollection(scraping)applied• Storagemethods,timing• Natureofmachine(orhuman)analysisprocessesemployed• Timeperiodsanalyzed• Editsordataadjustmentsapplied• Natureofspecialhandlingofambiguouscases• Errorcorrectionandreissueprocedures• Sentimentaccuracy
4.2.2 ThreadedContent,OverlappingContentandDownstreamEditing
Engagementmetricsmayalsobereportedbasedondepth(iterativeorcascading)andalternateplatformsourceordestination(contentredistributionbetweendifferentplatforms)withappropriatedisclosureanddefinition.Toolsforanalyzingandaccumulatingthreadedcontentshallbedisclosed,andthesetoolswillbesubjectedtoextensiveinternalqualitycontroltestingbythemeasurementorganization–especiallywhenlinkagesofthreadedcontentarenotclear(forexample,situationswheresequentialfollow-onlistsarenotused).Duplicateoroverlappingcontentprocessesshouldexistthatminimize/eliminatedoubleormultiplecountingofsingleevents.ChangesmadetoUGCbyoriginalpostersorothersshouldbedistinguishedwherepossiblebythemeasurementorganization.Defaultordering(mostrecent,mostrelevant,etc.)ofUGCinthreadsorfeedsasconfiguredbyaplatformormeasurer(asopposedtouser-configuredordering)shouldbedisclosed.Additionally,algorithmsemployedbySocialMediaPlatformstoeitherotherthecontentusersseeorsuggestcontentshouldbeempiricallysupportedandtheuseofsuchtechniquesshouldbedisclosedaspartofmeasurementandreporting.Changestothisorderingortheunderlyingalgorithmsshouldbedisclosedinadvancefortransparencyandtrendingpurposeswherepossible.Finally,thepresenceandprevalenceofuser-configuredorderingmayimpactmeasurementandshouldbestudiedandconsideredbymeasurersofplatformswherepresent.
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4.2.3 ExcludingNon-RelevantInformation
Themeasurementorganizationmayexcludenon-relevantcontent(basedonkeywords,subjectmatterorothercontextualmeasures)frommeasuredevents.Contextualrelevancemaybesubjectiveandvarybetweenplatforms.Aswithanydataadjustmenttechniques,anyprocessestodeterminetherelevanceofandexcludeorincludecontentformeasurementshouldbefullydescribed,basedonsystematicandreasonableproceduresandshouldbesupportedbyunderlyingempiricalstudies.Measurersareencouragedtodeveloprobustdictionariesortaxonomiesthatareconsistentlyappliedforthepurposeofestablishingcontextualrelevance.Alternativelyoradditionally,machinelearningoralgorithmicapproachesarepermissibleifsupportedbyempiricalanalysis,consistentlyappliedandperiodicallyupdated.SimilartoAdVerificationguidance,SocialMediaUGCcontextualrelevanceparametersshouldbedevelopedthroughconsultationbetweentheplatformormeasurerandthecustomer.ContextualrelevancecriteriashouldbemaintainedbyeachmeasurerandclearlydisclosedtocustomersTimingofUGCThetimingofthecontextualrelevancedeterminationorunderlyingdataassumptionsshouldbedisclosedrelativetothetimingoftheUGCanalyzed(“freshness”)andameasurershouldhavestateddatastalenesspoliciesempiricallysupported.ItisstronglyencouragedthatmeasurersanalyzethedegreeofuseractivityassociatedwithtypesofUGClongitudinallyasabasisforfreshnessorstalenesspolicies.Atimestampisrecommendedtoinformusersabouttheageoftheservice’smostrecentassessment.Empiricallysupportedreportingtimecut-offeditrulesarestronglyencouraged,withfulldisclosure,especiallywithregardtomeasurementofSocialMediaactivityrelatedtoaspecificadvertisingcampaign.Reportingcut-offrulesshouldconsiderthenatureoftheposts(e.g.,Sponsoredevergreenposts)andcampaigntimebounds(whereapplicable)aswellasiftheactivitybeingmeasuredrelatestooriginalAuthorshiporre-postingoforiginalAuthorship.Measurersmayutilizecustomizabletimecut-offreportingorUGCagesegmentationwhereclearlydefinedandreportedwithtransparentmethodology.Insituationswhereactivityismeasuredrelatedtore-Authorshipoforiginalcontentandcut-offrulesareappliedseparately,reportingshouldbesegregatedfromthatofactivityrelatedtooriginalAuthorship.
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4.3 Video
MeasuringAccessestoSocialMediaEventData
WhenmeasuringaccesstoSocialMediaonvideo,orUserGeneratedVideo,therequirementsassociatedwithconventionalvideomeasurementapply.Videoaccessshouldbecountedusingaclient-sidetechniqueonlywhenthespecificSocialMediacontentisencountered(ifitisnotrepresentedintheentirevideoexecution),intheviewableareaofthescreen,postcaching.
Videoaccesscanbemeasuredusingseveraltypesofmetrics:
• VideoAdImpression(served)–Thismetricrepresentsthecountofthefirstframeof
thevideoad,postbufferingifapplicable.Thisisnolongerconsideredacurrencymetric.
• VideoAdImpression(Viewable)–Generally50%ormoreofpixelsinviewforatleast2continuousseconds(aswellasotherrequirementsoftheviewabilityguidelines)isrequiredforvideoinadesktopenvironment.ThisguidancemaybereplacedorsupersededbyadditionalguidancepromulgatedbytheMRCwithregardtomobileandstream/feedenvironments.
• Variousmetricscanbeusedtomeasureprogressthrougheitherthevideoortheapplicationcontent(completion,quartiles,percentage,retention,view-throughrate,costpertimemetrics,etc.),whichcanactasasurrogatetouserinterestorengagementatabasiclevel.
• Variousmetricscanbeusedforuserinteractionswiththevideoortheapplicationcontent,whichagaincanactasasurrogatetouserinterestorengagement–forexample,swipes,taps,movementorhovers,etc.
AnalyzingUGCVideoAnalyzingandunderstandingthecontentandsentimentwithinuser-generatedvideoishighlyrelevanttothisguideline.Severalgeneralprinciples,someofwhicharedescribedinsection3ofthisdocument,apply:
• Verificationoftheuser-generated(Earned)statusofthevideo,asdistinguishedfrom
Paidmedia(seeSection2.0forfurtherguidanceonthesegregationinreportingofOwnedContentandPaid/Sponsoredmetrics).
• Evaluatingtheentirestringofcontent,ratherthanasample.Ifsamplingisemployed,specificparametersshouldbedisclosed.
• Ensuringthatusergeneratedvideocontentisnotanalyzedmorethanonceforameasuredmetric–thiscanbecomplexgivenduplicationand/ormultiplecopiesorpartialcopiesthatcanresidewithinplatforms(seesection3.3).
• Applyingaconsistent,transparent(disclosed)setofoverallqualificationcriteria,searchtermsandcontextevaluationrules.
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• Applyingmanual-interventionwhenmachinelearneddecisionrulesencounterambiguitiesorwheresignificantdoubtexistsastotruecontext.
4.4 FrequencyCapping
Incertainsituations,socialplatformsmayenforcefrequencycapping,oralimitationofthenumberofadsthatmaybeservedeithertothetotaluserpopulationorasubsetofusers(suchasusersoutsidethenetworkofaspecificbrand).Suchaparametermayeitherbeenforcedbydefaultoftheplatformorasconfiguredbyabrandorotherentityservingadsontheplatform.SuchlimitationsofexposureorReachshouldbefullydisclosedtousersoftheplatforminthecontextofreportedmetricswherepossible.
5 EnhancingSocialMediaMeasurementAccuracy
Note:MostofthissectionisapplicabletotrackingorcountingSocialMediauserexposures,ratherthanUGCcontentanalysis.
5.1 CacheBusting
Incertainsituations,CacheBustingtechniquesshouldbeemployedbySocialMediameasurementorganizationstominimizeundercountingofSocialMediaactivity,ifthatactivityisrelatedtoimpressions,web-pagecallsoruseraccesses.CacheBustingtechniquesareappliedbysitesorad-servingentitiesandconsistofHTTPheadercontrolsand/orrandomnumberassignmentsappliedtotransactionalinformationtomakethemuniquefromothereventssotheyarenotsuppressedforcountingpurposes.
5.2 FiltrationforKnownInvalidActivity
AllmetricssubjecttoauditbyMRCorcertificationauditorsareexpectedtocomplywiththeMRC’sInvalidTrafficandFiltrationGuidelinesAddendum.ThisincludesSocialMediametrics,whichshouldbefilteredforknownGeneralInvalidTrafficasrequiredbythoseguidelines.Furthermore,likeothermetrics,applicationofSophisticatedInvalidTrafficdetectionprocessesarestronglyencouragedforSocialMediametrics.SuchSophisticatedtechniquesmaybefurtherenabledinaSocialMediadatacollectionenvironmentandplatformsareencouragedtoextendthesetechniquestorobustaccountanduservalidationprocedures.
However,whileSocialMediaPlatformsorUGCcollectorsmayhavetheabilitytoutilizegranulardatatoconductGeneralandSophisticatedInvalidTrafficdetection,third-partyaggregatorsorusersofAPIandfirehosedatamaybelimitedintheirvisibilityintogranulardataandthereforelimitedintheirabilitytofilter.InsituationswheresuchpartiesutilizedatafromupstreamplatformsorUGCcollectorswithaccreditedfiltrationtechniques,thisshouldbeconfirmedand
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disclosedbytheaggregatorwithnofurtherrequirementforadditionalfiltration.Howeverwheresuchaccreditedupstreamfiltrationtechniquesareeithernotpresentorunknown,suchpartiesshouldmakereasonableeffortstoeitherobtainplatformdatathatallowsthemtocomplywiththeseguidelinesorperformadditionaldownstreamanalyticalprocedurestoserveasaproxyformoregranularanalysis.EffortsshouldbemadetoidentifyandexcludeSpamfromAuthorshipandEngagementtotheextentknownbythemeasurementorganization.
5.3 SegregationofPre-FetchandPre-RenderActivity
Eventsthatoccurbecauseofnon-user-initiatedpre-fetchorpre-rendertechniquesshouldbesegregatedforSocialMediameasurementreportingpurposesandappropriatelydescribedsotheusersofmeasurementdataareinformedofspecificorigins.AspartoftheMRC’sefforttomodernizeexistingdigitalmeasurementguidelines,wecontinuetopushformeasurementattheclient(user)sideandaslateinthedeliveryprocessaspossible.ItisimportantthatSocialMediameasurement,particularlythatofmobileactivity,considerthedelivery,loadingandrendering(withconsiderationofAdBlocking)ofcontentasrequiredpriortoinitiatingmeasurement.
5.4 Auto-InitiatedContent,OtherNon-UserIntendedContent
Valid,measuredSocialMediaeventscanincludethosewheretheunderlyingactivitywaseitheruserorautoinitiated,howeveranauto-initiated(notrequiringdirectuserinvolvementincludingauto-playcontentanduser-configuredautomatedactivity)eventbasedonsocialeventsshouldbesegregatedanddescribedforreportingpurposes.
Additionally,ifameasurerhasknowledgethatausereventoccurredinanunintendedmanner,throughtricking,misdirectingormaskingtruelocations,theseeventsshouldnotbecountedinreportedevents.
5.5 Applications–On-Linevs.Off-LineActivity
Inanapplication-basedplatformpertainingtoSocialMedia,activitycanbeconductedon-lineoroff-line(off-lineactivityisposted,updatedand/ormeasuredupontheuserre-engagingon-line).Alloftheseeventscanbelegitimatelymeasuredbuttheexistenceandnatureofoff-lineeventsshouldbedescribedinreportsofSocialMediameasurement.Ingeneral,itisdesirabletodisclosethepercentageofmeasuredeventsthatoccurredoff-line.Thepassageoftimecanmakeoff-lineeventslessvaluable,soexcessiveamountsofdelayinre-engagingon-line(forexample,thosewhereprioron-lineexposurewaspriortothereportingperiod)shouldbequantifiedanddisclosed.
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5.6 InactivityConsiderationsandLimits
WerefertheuserofthisguidelinetopriorIABguidanceonAudienceReachMeasurementswheretheterm“Session”isdefined.ThisguidanceindicatesthedeterminationofasinglecontinuoussetofactivityattributabletoabrowserorusercaninvolvemakingassumptionsaboutuseractivityandissubjecttomeasurementlimitationssuchasdynamicIPaddressingandcookiedeletion.Measurementorganizationsshouldconsiderthesedifficultieswhencreatingrulesfordeterminationofsessions/visits.SocialMediabehaviormaysupportSessiondeterminationanddefinitiondifferentthangeneralInternetbehaviorandmeasurersareencouragedtostudyandsupportanyalternatedefinitions.
Inmeasuringsessions,itisgenerallynecessarytoterminatesessionsifcertainperiodsofinactivityareencounteredforauser.IftheSocialMediameasurementreliesonidentifyingusers,uniqueusersorsessions,webelievethisguidanceishighlyrelevantandrequired.
6 GeneralReportingParameters
6.1 GeneralParameters
Generalreportingparameters(dayparts(andmoregranulartime),weekparts,timezones,etc.)provideforconsistencyandcomparability.Theseshouldbebasedonthelogicalapplicationofinformationabouttheusagepatternsofthemedium.
InordertoprovideformorestandardizationinSocialMediameasurementreporting,thefollowinggeneralreportingparametersarerecommended.Notethattheseareonlyseveralofthepossiblereportingparametersthatmaybeused.Ifparametersinadditiontothesearereported,similarrulesshouldbedefinedandapplied.
6.2 Time
Day—12:00midnightto12:00midnight
Dayparts—SocialMediausagepatternsneedfurtheranalysistodeterminetheusefulnessofestablishingeffectiveandlogicalstandardizedreportingdayparts.Weencouragesuchanalysistodeterminetheneedforstandardizationofthismeasurementparameter.
TotheextentthatSocialMediameasurementisspecifictoamediavertical(e.g.,TV),measurersareencouragedtoconformtoexistingandstandardizeddayparts,especiallywithregardtocross-mediacomparisonsorGRPs.However,itislikelythatmedia-agnosticmeasurementwillneedtobefurtherstudiedtodeterminetrafficandusagepatterns.SocialMediaspecificdaypartsshouldbesupportedbyempiricaltrafficanalysis.Customdaypartsshouldbefullydisclosed.
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TimeZone—Fulldisclosureofthetimezoneusedtoproducethemeasurementreportisrequired.Itispreferable,althoughnotacurrentcompliancerequirement,forcertifiedpublishersoradserverstohavetheabilitytoproducemeasurementreportsinaconsistenttimezonesobuyerscanassessactivityacrossmeasurementorganizations.ForUS-basedreportsitisrecommendedthatreportsbeavailableonthebasisoftheEasternTimezone,fornonUS-basedreportsthisisrecommendedtobeGMT.
Week—MondaythroughSunday
Weekparts—M-F,M-Sun,Sat,Sun,Sat-Sun
Month—Threereportingmethods:(1)TVBroadcastmonthdefinition.Inthisdefinition,theMonthbeginsontheMondayoftheweekcontainingthefirstfullweekendofthemonth,(2)4-weekperiods–(13peryear)consistentwithmediaplanningforothermedia,or(3)acalendarmonth.Forfinancialreportingpurposes,amonthisdefinedasacalendarmonth.
6.3 Location
6.3.1 TraditionalGeo-LocationMethods
Ifinformationaboutthegeographiclocationoftheusersiscollectedusingtraditionalgeo-locationmethods(forinstance,usingregistrationinformationorIP-baseddatafromathird-partyvendortodeterminethelocationoftheuser),andthisinformationisusedinreporting,anylimitationstothemethodsusedshouldbedisclosed.Ambiguitiesinwirelessoperatorroutingshouldbeaccountedforinlocationdeterminationandestimatedthroughprocessesderivedfromcarrier/adservercooperation.
Forregistrationdata,collectionandupdatepoliciesshouldbefullydisclosed.Furthermore,organizationsutilizingregistrationinformationforlocationarestronglyencouragedtodevelopstronglogicchecksandinspectiontechniquesandconsiderexistingdatacollectionguidance(e.g.,CRE,etc.).
6.3.2 ApplicationLocationServices
Ifinformationaboutthegeographiclocationoftheusersiscollectedusingapplicationlocationservices(suchasGPS-enableduserlocationdetermination,devicefingerprintingoranotherapplication-basedmeans),andthisinformationisusedinreporting,themethodusedandanyknownlimitationstoitshouldbedisclosed.
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Totheextentthatplatformsormeasurersutilizebothtraditionalgeo-locationmethodsandapplicationlocationservices,discrepanciesbetweentheseapproachesshouldbereconciledwithsignificantconflictsaddressed.
6.3.3 HybridandEmergingLocationTechniques
Certainhybridandemergingtechniquesforlocationassignmentanddetectionareeithercurrentlypresentorbeingdeveloped,includingadvancedtechniquesinvolvinglocationmappingandproximatepointsofinterest.SuchtechniquesshouldbedisclosedindetailalongwithinherentlimitationsandcoveragewhenutilizedbySocialMediameasurersorplatforms.
6.4 SegregatingNon-LikeAdContentorActivity
Forreportingpurposes,measurementsshouldbesegregatedbythevarioustypesofads,UGCoreventsincludedinthecampaign.Forinstance,countsshouldbereportedseparatelyforadswithinthecampaignofdifferentsizesorfunctionalities,differentbrands,differentbrandsub-components,etc.
7 DisclosureGuidance
7.1 General
SocialMediameasurementorganizationsshouldfullydisclosetheirSocialMediaactivityrecordingprocesstobuyersandotherusersofthemeasurementdata.Anorganization’smethodologyforaccumulatingSocialMediaadvertisingmeasurementsshouldbefullydescribedtousersofthedata.Specifically,thenatureofmeasurements,methodsofsamplingused(ifapplicable),datacollectionmethodsemployed,dataeditingproceduresorothertypesofdataadjustmentorprojection,calculationexplanations,reportingstandards(ifapplicable),reliabilityofresults(ifapplicable)andlimitationsofthedatashouldbeincludedinthedisclosure.
SeeSection4.2.1forfurtherguidance.PlatformsandmeasurementorganizationsshoulddisclosethesedetailstousersofthedataviaaDescriptionofMethodology,updatedatleastonceannually.
Thefollowingpresentsexamplesofthetypesofinformationdisclosed.
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NatureofSocialMediaMeasurements•NameandTypeofApplicationIncludedintheMeasurement•NameofMeasurementReport•TypeofMeasurementsReported
o TimePeriodsIncludedo DaysIncludedo BasisforMeasurement(MeasurementUnit)o GeographicAreaso SignificantSub-GroupingsofDatao Demographiccategories
•FormatsofReportedData•SpecialPromotionsImpactingMeasurements•NatureofAuditingAppliedandDirectionstoAccesstoAuditReport•Sampling/ProjectionsUsed
o SamplingMethodsUsedo ExplanationofProjectionMethods
DataCollectionMethodsEmployed
•MethodofDataCollectiono LoggingMethodo LoggingFrequencyo LoggingCapturePoint
•TypesofDataCollectedo ContentsofLogFiles
•ContactswithUsers(ifapplicableandallowableconsideringprivacy)•ResearchonAccuracyofBasicData
o CookieParticipationPercentages(ifapplicable)o LatencyEstimates
•RateofResponse(ifapplicable)
EditingorDataAdjustmentProcedures•CheckingRecordsforCompleteness•ConsistencyChecks•AccuracyChecks•RulesforHandlingInconsistencies•CircumstancesforDiscardingData•HandlingofPartialDataRecords
o AscriptionProcedures
ComputationofReportedResults•DescriptionofHowEstimatesareCalculated
o Illustrationsaredesirableo FrequencycapsenforcedimpactingadorReachmetrics
•WeightingTechniques(ifapplicable)
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•VerificationorQualityControlChecksinDataProcessingOperations•Pre-ReleaseQualityControls•ReprocessingorErrorCorrectionRules
ReportingStandards(ifapplicable)
•RequirementsforInclusioninReports,BasedonMinimumActivityLevels
ReliabilityofResults
•SamplingError(ifapplicable)
Dataretentionrules•Maintainingsufficientdataorprocessesthatallowforaudittrail
LimitationsonDataUse•Non-samplingError•ErrorsorUnusualConditionsNotedinReportingPeriod•LimitationsofMeasurements
7.2 DataOwnershipDisclosures
UsersandmeasurersofSocialMediadatashouldclearlydiscloseanyapplicabledataownershiprequirementsorpoliciesaspartofbothcontractualarrangementsandmethodologicaldisclosures.SocialMediameasurersorplatformsshouldpromoteformaltransparencysurroundingdataderivedfromuseractivityonmeasuredplatformsandanyrelateduserprivacypoliciesviadisclosurewithinaDescriptionofMethodology.UsersofSocialMediadataandclientsofSocialMediaPlatformsormeasurers(includingadvertisers,agenciesandpublishers)areencouragedtoincorporatetermsandclarificationregardingdataownershipintocontractualarrangements,termsofserviceortransactionstipulationsinadvance.
8 AuditingGuidelines
8.1 General
ThirdpartyindependentauditingisencouragedforallSocialMediameasurementsusedinthebuyingandsellingprocess(orwhenpresentedascomparabletothosemeasurementsthatare).Thisauditingisrecommendedtoincludebothcountingmethodsandprocessing/controlsasfollows:
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1.CountingMethods:Independentverificationofactivityforadefinedperiod.Countingmethodproceduresgenerallyincludeabasicprocessreviewandriskanalysistounderstandthemeasurementmethods,analyticalreview,transactionauthentication,validationoffiltrationproceduresandmeasurementrecalculations.
2.Processes/Controls:Examinationoftheinternalcontrolssurroundingallphasesofthemeasurementprocess.Processauditingincludesexaminationoftheadequacyofappliedfiltrationtechniques.Althoughauditreportscanbeissuedasinfrequentlyasonceperyear,someaudittestingshouldextendtomorethanoneperiodduringtheyeartoassureinternalcontrolsaremaintained.Auditreportsshouldclearlystatetheperiodscoveredbytheunderlyingaudittestingandtheperiodcoveredbytheresultingcertification.
8.2 U.S.CertificationRecommendation
AllSocialMediameasurementapplicationsusedinthebuyingandsellingprocessarerecommendedtobecertifiedascompliantwiththeseguidelines,atminimumannually.Thisrecommendationisstronglysupportedbythe4Asandothermembersofthebuyingcommunity,forconsiderationofmeasurementsas“currency.”
SpecialAuditingGuidanceforsoftwareprovidersthatmarketSocialMediameasurementsoftwaretoSocialMediaPlatformsorpublishersforuseonthepublisher’sITinfrastructure(i.e.,“outsourced”)shouldconsiderthefollowingadditionalguidance:
1.Thestandardizedmeasurementsoftwareshouldbecertifiedonaone-timebasisatthemeasurementorganization,andthiscertificationisappliedtoeachcustomer.Thiscentralizedcertificationisrequiredatminimumannually.
2.Eachcustomer’sinfrastructure(andanymodificationsthatcustomerhasmadetothemeasurementsoftware,ifany)shouldbeindividuallyauditedtoassurecontinuedfunctioningofthesoftwareandthepresenceofappropriateinternalcontrols.Processesperformedinthecentralizedcertificationapplicabletotheoutsourcedsoftwarearegenerallynotre-performed.Theassessmentofcustomerinternalcontrols(andmodificationsmadetooutsourcedsoftware,ifany)isalsorecommendedtobeatminimumanannualprocedure.Thesecertificationproceduresareonlynecessaryforoutsourceclientswhowishtopresenttheirmeasurementsforusebybuyers.
SpecialAuditingGuidanceforAdvertisingAgenciesorOtherBuyingOrganizations
IfbuyingorganizationsmodifyorotherwisemanipulatemeasurementsfromcertifiedSocialMediameasurementorganizationsuponreceipt,auditingoftheseactivitiesshouldbeconsidered.
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InadditiontoMRCanditscongressionalsupportedcertificationprocessforthebroadcastindustry,thereareanumberofothercertifiersandtypesandlevelsofcertificationavailabletoadservingorganizations.
9 WhoWeAreandContact
AbouttheMediaRatingCouncil(MRC)
TheMediaRatingCouncilisanon-profitindustryassociationestablishedin1963comprisedofleadingtelevision,radio,printanddigitalmediacompanies,aswellasadvertisers,advertisingagenciesandtradeassociations,whosegoalistoensuremeasurementservicesthatarevalid,reliableandeffective.MeasurementservicesdesiringMRCaccreditationarerequiredtodisclosetotheircustomersallmethodologicalaspectsoftheirservice;complywiththeMRCMinimumStandardsforMediaRatingResearchaswellasotherapplicableindustrymeasurementguidelines;andsubmittoMRC-designedauditstoauthenticateandilluminatetheirprocedures.Inaddition,theMRCmembershipactivelypursuesresearchissuestheyconsiderprioritiesinanefforttoimprovethequalityofresearchinthemarketplace.Currentlyapproximately110researchproductsareauditedbytheMRC.AdditionalinformationaboutMRCcanbefoundatwww.mediaratingcouncil.org.
AbouttheAmericanAssociationofAdvertisingAgencies(4A’s)
The4A'sisthecatalystforbringingtogethertherightpeopleintherightplaceattherighttimetoaddresstheadvertisingindustry'smostcriticalbusinessissues.Theyprovideleadership,advocacy,guidanceandcommunitytotheirmembersandtheindustryatlarge,withproprietaryaccesstothepeople,informationandtoolsneededtomakesmartermanagementdecisions.Theirmissionistohelpagenciesbecomemoresuccessful.
The4A'sSocialMediaCommittee,anagency-ledseniorexecutivecommitteeofthe4A's,wasformedin2013,andisdedicatedtodefininganddrivingbestpracticesforsocialmediamarketingandadvertising.Theirgoalistoactasaresourceandthought-leaderforthesocialmediapracticeinsideagenciesandinspire,recognizeanddevelopfuturetalent.
AbouttheInteractiveAdvertisingBureau(IABU.S.)
TheInteractiveAdvertisingBureau(IAB)empowersthemediaandmarketingindustriestothriveinthedigitaleconomy.Itiscomprisedofmorethan650leadingmediaandtechnologycompaniesthatareresponsibleforselling,delivering,andoptimizingdigitaladvertisingormarketingcampaigns.Together,theyaccountfor86percentofonlineadvertisingintheUnitedStates.Workingwithitsmembercompanies,theIABevaluatesandrecommendsstandardsandpracticesandfieldscriticalresearchoninteractiveadvertising.Theorganizationiscommittedto
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professionaldevelopment,elevatingtheknowledge,skills,andexpertiseofindividualsacrossthedigitalmarketingindustry.TheIABalsoeducatesmarketers,agencies,mediacompaniesandthewiderbusinesscommunityaboutthevalueofinteractiveadvertising.Foundedin1996,theIABisheadquarteredinNewYorkCity.Formoreinformation,pleasevisitwww.iab.net.
AbouttheWordofMouthMarketingAssociation(WOMMA)
TheWordofMouthMarketingAssociation(WOMMA)istheofficialtradeassociationforthewordofmouthandsocialmediamarketingindustries.Foundedin2004,WOMMAistheleaderinethicalwordofmouthmarketingpracticesandoffersonlineandofflineeducation,professionaldevelopmentopportunities,andknowledgesharingwithtopindustrymarketers.WOMMA’smembershipismadeupofthemostinnovativecompaniescommittedtoadvancingthewordofmouthmarketingindustrythroughadvocacy,education,andethics.Formoreinformation,visitwww.WOMMA.org
ContactInformationForquestionsrelatedtothecontentofthisguideline,pleasecontact:
MRC:RonPinelliJr.,VPDigitalResearchandStandards212-972-0300rpinelli@mediaratingcouncil.org4A’s:JulesShapiro,[email protected]:SusanBorst,Director,[email protected]
WOMMA:PeterStorck,BoardMember&[email protected]