In this installment of our Mastering the Metrics series, we will cover Frequency Response.
Frequency response refers to the reaction of an audience when it is exposed to an ad. There are several ways of conceptualizing frequency response functions. The three most common models are described below:
- Linear – The linear model assumes that all impressions have an equal impact. This is a pretty sweeping assumption, so it’s not surprising that this model can be too simplistic for complex products.
- Threshold – The threshold model suggests that several impressions are required before an audience responds to an ad’s message. This is the most commonly used model because it offers the best combination of accuracy and simplicity.
- Learning Curve – The learning curve model argues that an ad starts out having little impact, but gains ground with repeated impressions, finally tapering off after saturation is reached. With so many moving parts, it is difficult to get this calculation exactly right, so this model is not always entirely accurate.
