Why is my data changing, and why is that good?

Consumers are always changing. One day they watch Game of Thrones, the next they're all abuzz with the latest about The Handmaid's Tale. To keep up with this everchanging market landscape, we survey 6-8 times a year, bringing you the freshest data that is most reflective of consumers' hobbies, daily routines, values, habits, etc.  

When we update data in the Resonate platform, some metrics will inevitably update as well. We believe that our latest data is our greatest data, and we recommend that, when possible, you use the most recent data in the platform to present analyses and make strategic decisions.  

What causes Resonate data to change?

1. The Addition of a New Wave
   We survey consumers year-round to keep up with their changing behaviors and attitudes that, ultimately, shape the market. As people's attitudes are changing towards product and services, data in Resonate shifts as well. Consider how the number of cord-cutters has increased in the past year. With Resonate data reflecting the changing sentiment of consumers, you would have made the decision to shift money from cable TV advertising to paid TV subscriptions, like Amazon Prime Video or Hulu. Data changes, and that's good because it means you can adjust your strategy accordingly!
   
   • Changes to vertical-specific data due to the release of a new wave 
     As you know, each survey wave focuses on a different vertical. With each new data release, data from an older release is retired, which may cause changes within the two affected verticals. For instance, if our upcoming release focuses on Financial Services and the oldest wave that is being retired focused on Automotive, data in both verticals will change more noticeably than in other verticals.  
     
2. New or Enhanced Modeling Technology
   Modeling technology is continuously improving, and we are evaluating and adopting this new technology. As we introduce new technology and methodology to our modeling, our predictions become more accurate; therefore, data might change in the process. 
   
   
3. Periodic Methodology & Metric Updates
   Changes to our weights and quotas and updates to our metrics such as the Online Adult Population will also result in data change. We are making these revisions periodically to accurately represent the online adult population in the United States, as the number of adults online continues to grow and change in terms of their ethnic and demographic composition.

What's affected by data changes?

Data changes may affect the following:

• Index and Composition 
• Audience sizes 
• Metrics on the Category and Site Affinity Reports 

How do I know these changes are valid?

We have strict processes for evaluating data changes before they become available to you in the platform.  

To ensure response quality: 

• We use a statistical method that looks at response patterns to filter out poor responses 
• We ask data quality questions that detect poor responses 
• We implement time checks throughout the survey to filter out "speeders"  
• With the help of these methods, we discard up to 10% of responses from every survey wave so that only high-quality responses are included in the platform 

While processing data: 

• We use distribution change reports to compare how much data has changed compared to previous data 
• We specifically scrutinize data with significant changes from previous data to rule out any processing errors 
• Only once we are confident do we release the data into the platform 

We pride ourselves on providing you with frequently updated, fresh data. To ensure that you are using the latest and greatest Resonate data for your work, we encourage you to refer to our survey wave calendar and keep an eye out on data release notifications.