Share of Voice

Additions, clarifications, extended definition

SoV can be calculated by the number of mentions (what percentage our mentions represent of the total), by reach (reach/OTS) – what percentage of the total potential audience our brand reached – or, less commonly but more usefully, by presence (number of mentions) in relevant media.

Interpretation

Higher SoV = stronger media presence compared with competitors.

Higher SoV is often associated with a higher share of market (SOM), although this is not a causal relationship.

Low SoV may indicate weaker PR activity or a less attractive topic.

Watch out: limits and risks of distortion

• The calculation methodology (mentions vs. reach) fundamentally changes the results.
• Quantity ≠ quality – many short mentions ≠ a few major feature stories.
• Negative publicity – a high SoV is not necessarily positive.
• The result depends on the choice of competitors and keywords.

Where and how to measure

• Monitoring tools: Mediaboard, Newton Media.
• Internal content analysis comparing the number of mentions by category.
• It is recommended to clearly define the competitive set (brands, topics, time period).

Context

SoV is a popular indicator in competitive comparisons. It makes it easy to show leadership how we stand relative to others. It must be read alongside sentiment and the quality of outputs.