Source hierarchy
Priority goes to platform and ad-account exports, project documents and client-verified data. Open sources carry an access date and never replace an internal fact.
ETC RESEARCH · METHOD
Method matters more than an attractive figure
This page defines the shared ETC Research standard. A publication may use a narrower method, which is always described alongside its results.
Shared standard
Five mandatory principles
Definitions before calculation
Before analysis, we define the observation unit, measurement window, deduplication rules, currency, taxes and included costs. Any methodology change after results are obtained is stated explicitly.
Forecasts remain separate from actuals
Published forecast ranges are not rewritten. Reports retain the original forecast, actual value, snapshot date and explanation of any material variance.
Minimum standard for a benchmark
If a sample is small, heterogeneous or cannot be described without breaching confidentiality, we publish a project-specific observation or range and do not call it a market norm.
Corrections and updates
Every article carries an update date. A material error is corrected with an explanation of what changed; an earlier conclusion is not silently erased if readers may already have relied on it.
Terms
What we keep separate
- Reach and views
- Reach refers to people or accounts; views are playback events counted under each platform’s rules.
- Attribution and causality
- UTM tags, promo codes or surveys show an observed relationship. Any additional campaign effect requires an experiment or an explicitly described model.
- Average and range
- One average may hide a wide spread. A media plan should use conservative, base and high scenarios with explained inputs.
ETC · MEASUREMENT
Methodology is set before launch
Describe the task and available data; we will separate essential measurement from optional additional research.
