Brands/Products
Why Analyzing Media Sentiment by Frequency is Holding You Back
By Philip Odiakose
As someone who has spent over 15 years working directly with public relations measurement and intelligence and more than a decade helping brands make sense of their media performance, I can say with confidence (and a touch of media analysis fatigue) that not all PR metrics are doing what we think they are doing. And when it comes to sentiment analysis, many of us have been led by tradition, not truth. In my constant pursuit to help PR and comms professionals access metrics rooted in objectivity and research, I had to take a deeper look into how sentiment is currently being measured. After spending time digging into the methodology, analysing patterns, and comparing outcomes, it became clear: sentiment analysis by frequency has overstayed its welcome.
“Too often, we focus on counting sentiment rather than weighing it — frequency tells us how much, but deeper analysis tells us how much it matters.”
For too long, we have boxed sentiment into just three labels — positive, negative, and neutral — and then celebrated (or panicked) based on how large each segment appears. If a brand has 60% positive sentiment, someone somewhere is already serving small chops and cutting cake. But ask the hard question: what does that 60% actually mean? Does it carry weight? Is it impactful? Is it meaningful? I recall being in a strategy session where an agency CEO saw a 60% positive sentiment report and asked, “So… should I be excited or worried?” And truthfully, the data didn’t answer that. In another situation, a client saw 35% negative sentiment and wanted to escalate to crisis mode. Again, I had to ask, what kind of negative are we talking about?
“When it comes to sentiment analysis, it’s not enough to know the quantity of sentiment; you need to understand the intensity and quality of that sentiment. Without that, data can lead you astray.”
You see, frequency analysis doesn’t tell you intensity. It doesn’t ask, how positive is this positivity? Or how damaging is this negativity? In reality, a comment like “The brand dey try sha” (Nigerian slang for “they are doing okay”) and another saying “This brand saved my life!” are both tagged as positive but are clearly worlds apart in tone and impact. That is where the problem lies — we have focused too much on counting sentiment without weighing it.
Research provides a more meaningful approach. The empirical formula I recommend is:
Sentiment Score (StSc) = (Number of Positive Mentions – Number of Negative Mentions) / Total Number of Mentions
This gives us a normalized sentiment index between -1 and +1, where 0 is neutral, and the extremes show very strong positivity or negativity. So if a brand has 3 positive and 2 negative mentions out of 10 total, the score becomes (3 – 2)/10 = 0.1 — slightly positive. But if it is 8 positive and 1 negative, the score is 0.7 — that is significant. Now compare that to simply saying “80% positive,” and you see why frequency alone is not enough. The difference is in the depth of interpretation. This formula still isn’t widely used across the media intelligence space, but one company that’s already ahead of the curve is Truescope (North America) — where my friend and industry expert, Todd Murphy, serves as President of North America.
“Objective metrics that account for sentiment weight and distribution are what truly empower PR strategies. It’s not about having more positive mentions — it’s about understanding the level of positivity and negativity and its true impact on brand perception.”
To fix this gap in analysis, we have developed the Future-Proof Sentiment Score Framework – A P+ Measurement Services Proprietary Sentiment Score Framework. This includes a more advanced Sentiment Weight Score and Distribution Matrix, which doesn’t stop at “positive/negative/neutral,” but goes further to classify sentiment into strongly, moderately, and slightly — for both positives and negatives. This matrix brings clarity to brands and communications teams. It helps you know when to celebrate, when to adjust, and when to truly raise the red flag. Starting from Q2 2025, all clients of P+ Measurement Services will have access to this upgraded sentiment analysis dashboard, alongside a dedicated dashboard that tracks the media performance of competitive CEOs. And I can say with confidence — it changes the game.
“Let’s stop being impressed by pie charts that look shiny but don’t provide actionable insight. Understanding the meaning behind sentiment and the true impact on your brand is what matters.”
I will give you a practical example. A multinational brand we monitored recently saw 35% negative sentiment and was ready to call a crisis meeting. But our deeper analysis showed 80% of that negativity was slightly negative—things like delayed customer service or pricing feedback. Meanwhile, their strongly positive mentions were increasing daily, driven by user experience reviews. Instead of reacting emotionally, the brand realigned calmly. No panic, just action. That is the power of context.
So, let us stop being impressed by shiny pie charts. Let us stop reporting frequency without understanding what it means. A sentiment report that doesn’t answer so what? and what next? is simply not useful. This is why I always say: vanity metrics may look nice in a report, but they can’t guide strategy. Objective, research-backed metrics can.
“Vanity metrics can’t guide strategy. Only research-backed, objective metrics help you turn insights into action.”
At the end of the day, this isn’t just about a better dashboard. It is about moving our industry forward. For those interested in the technical side, I am happy to share more about lexicon-based sentiment scoring and resources like the Harvard General Inquirer—empirical research that goes beyond assumptions and digs into real language science. But even without the jargon, the message is simple: frequency tells you how much, but only deeper analysis tells you how much it matters.
Philip Odiakose is a leader and advocate of public relations monitoring, measurement, evaluation and intelligence in Africa. He is also the Chief Media Analyst at P+ Measurement Services, a member of AMEC, NIPR, AMCRON, ACIOM and Founding Member of AMEC Lab Initiative
By Adedapo Adesanya
Top building materials and solutions brand, Lafarge Africa Plc, has unveiled a new thematic campaign tagged Beyond Buildings geared towards highlighting its impact and contributions to Nigeria’s infrastructural development.
The campaign was unveiled by the chief executive of Lafarge Africa, Mr Lolu Alade-Akinyemi, on Monday, December 8, 2025, in Lagos.
Mr Alade-Akinyemi noted that the campaign highlights how Lafarge, through innovative and sustainable building solutions, has continued to shape the socio-economic development and progress of Nigerians and Nigeria by contributing to the construction of various structures, including iconic buildings and bridges, stadiums, hospitals, roads, and more, ultimately aiding the nation’s overall growth.
“For over six decades, beyond the manufacturing of building solutions, we have partnered in building the very foundation of Nigeria’s infrastructural development and its future. With our innovative solutions, we have made a significant contribution to our nation’s progress by providing essential building materials for numerous landmark projects.
“This also extends to the expansion of our production capacity nationwide, creating jobs and livelihoods, bringing development to communities, and introducing innovative products to meet the ever-evolving construction needs of Nigeria,” he said.
He described the campaign as a celebration of strength, innovation, history, shared success, and the power of progress, noting that it is the story of the company’s humble beginnings, which dates back to 1960 when its first factory began production.
“The Beyond Buildings campaign is the story of our vision, which is to be the leading building solutions company, driving innovation and operational excellence to create a greener planet and enable national progress. It shifts the narrative from our products to the profound impact we make on human lives. Our materials transform into national landmarks, powering jobs, livelihoods, and development across every state,” he noted.
The thematic campaign Beyond Buildings spotlights how Lafarge has been a strong and steady partner in building infrastructure that underpins Nigeria’s socio-economic progress.
“We are celebrating our enduring legacy and committing to a new era of sustainable and innovative growth. This campaign empowers us to tell that story with confidence and clarity,” he added.
Delivering his remarks, the Commercial Director of Lafarge Africa, Mr Gbenga Onimowo, stressed that the premiere viewing is an opportunity to share the compelling reasons why the company’s story, ‘Beyond Buildings,’ must be told.
Mr Onimowo stated that the campaign aims to reinforce the company’s position at the heart of Nigeria’s construction growth since independence, as demonstrated by its extensive footprint of infrastructure development across every corner of the country.
‘However, our contribution is not merely about building solutions including cement, mortar, plaster of paris and readymix concrete. It’s about the shared future and the national development we actively enable,’ he said.
He stated that the campaign was designed to move the conversation past the physical structures and shine a light on the socio-economic impact that the company helps create.
“Our campaign highlights the immense progress built on the concrete of trust since 1960. Our materials are integral to iconic landmarks like the National Theatre, 1st and 2nd Niger Bridges, Third Mainland bridge, Lekki-Ikoyi link bridge, the National Assembly Complex and countless national, commercial, academic and residential structures nationwide,” he added.
The event was well attended by distinguished stakeholders from the building and construction sector as well as the arts, culture, media and entertainment industry, alongside many of the company’s esteemed customers including veteran Nollywood actors Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD) and Kate Henshaw.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The prestigious Agency of the Year title has been clinched by X3M Ideas, a foremost integrated marketing communications (IMC) firm in Africa, at the Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival (LAIF) Awards.
LAIF rolled out drums to celebrate its 20th anniversary at the Marriott Hotel, GRA Ikeja, Lagos, on Sunday, November 30, 2025.
The award ceremony, themed 20 Years of Crazy, was attended by several stakeholders in the IMC sector in the country.
At the event, X3M Ideas, established by a veteran in the industry, Mr Steve Babaeko, topped the medal table with 12 Gold, 20 Silver, and 24 Bronze awards, totalling 336 points. The second and third-placed agencies scored 153 and 141 points, respectively.
In 2023, X3M Ideas achieved a similar feat at LAIF and also emerged African Agency of the Year at the 2023 and 2024 editions of the African Cristal Awards.
During this period, Mr Babaeko was named African Personality of the Year, reaffirming the agency’s position as a leader in the African advertising industry.
The 2025 edition of LAIF was also a double celebration for X3M Ideas, as Mr Babaeko, alongside other industry leaders, received special recognitions and commemorative plaques for their invaluable contributions to establishing LAIF as West Africa’s premier creative showcase.
“We are extremely excited to win again at LAIF. This achievement demonstrates how we have continuously evolved, innovated, and remained creative, going ‘crazy’, in line with the theme of the award, by turning every brief into campaigns that resonate across all ages.
“This win also signifies that, together whether as individuals, agencies, or brands, we can shape the future of advertising, push boundaries, and redefine excellence,” Mr Babaeko, who is the Chief Creative Officer of X3M Ideas, said.
Recall, X3M Ideas broke a 70-year jinx to become the first Nigerian and West African agency to win at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
The agency continues to put Nigeria on the global map, winning notable awards at the 2024 Lisbon International Advertising Festivals Group.
Additionally, X3M Ideas was recognised as one of Africa’s fastest-growing companies for 2025 by the Financial Times, ranked 31st among 130 companies across the continent.
Its campaign, Blood Sacrifice, also won at the 2025 Cannes Lions Festival, earning top honours at the prestigious ACT Responsible exhibition.
LAIF was established through the bold vision of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) to celebrate and elevate creativity within Nigeria’s marketing communications industry.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Netflix has reached a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to buy the legendary TV and movie studio and assets like the HBO Max streaming service for $82.7 billion.
Warner Bros. Discovery is moving forward with its plans to split into two publicly traded halves in 2026. Once the split takes effect, Netflix intends to acquire the Warner Bros. half. The other half, Discovery Global, will house CNN and other cable channels. The Warner Bros. half includes its film and television studios, HBO Max and HBO.
The transaction values Warner Bros. Discovery at $27.75 per share, implying a total equity value of approximately $72.0 billion and an enterprise value of approximately $82.7 billion.
The deal is subject to regulatory conditions, of which there will be several, due to the size of the companies involved and what it means for competitiveness.
For several weeks, Paramount was thought to be the frontrunner in the auction for Warner Bros. Discovery. Paramount executives, who want to buy all of Warner Bros. Discovery – including its cable assets – were confident about their merger proposal and their mutually beneficial relationship with President Donald Trump.
However, Netflix surprised many with the boldness of its bids as it agreed to the same costly breakup fee that Paramount proposed, according to reports. This means the would-be buyer will pay Warner Bros. Discovery billions of dollars if the deal is not completed.
“Our mission has always been to entertain the world,” said Mr Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix. “By combining Warner Bros.’ incredible library of shows and movies—from timeless classics like Casablanca and Citizen Kane to modern favorites like Harry Potter and Friends—with our culture-defining titles like Stranger Things, KPop Demon Hunters and Squid Game, we’ll be able to do that even better. Together, we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling.”
Mr Greg Peters, the other co-CEO of Netflix, said the acquisition would “improve our offering and accelerate our business for decades to come,” adding: “Warner Bros. has helped define entertainment for more than a century and continues to do so with phenomenal creative executives and production capabilities. With our global reach and proven business model, we can introduce a broader audience to the worlds they create—giving our members more options, attracting more fans to our best-in-class streaming service, strengthening the entire entertainment industry and creating more value for shareholders.”
“Today’s announcement combines two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world to bring to even more people the entertainment they love to watch the most,” said David Zaslav, President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery. “For more than a century, Warner Bros. has thrilled audiences, captured the world’s attention, and shaped our culture. By coming together with Netflix, we will ensure people everywhere will continue to enjoy the world’s most resonant stories for generations to come.”
The terms of the agreement will see each Warner Bros. Discovery shareholder receive $23.25 in cash and $4.50 in shares of Netflix common stock for Warner Bros. Discovery common stock share.
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