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 Dipo Olowookere
A credit facility worth $80 million but fully Naira-denominated has been secured by Sun King to deepen solar access in Nigeria through its pay-as-you-go model.
The loan was facilitated by International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Stanbic IBTC Bank, with the former contributing $50 million.
Through the funding support, off-grid customers will access affordable solar solutions through Sun King in Nigeria.
The reason for providing the loan in local currency is to protect Sun King from foreign exchange risks, allowing its clients and customers to pay in small instalments, which improves affordability and capital efficiency, particularly for low-income and rural consumers.
The investment supports the Mission 300 initiative, which aims to connect 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa to electricity by 2030.
The facility falls under Sun King’s Sustainable Financing Framework, which has received a ‘Very Good’ Sustainable Quality Score from Moody’s, recognising its strong contribution to sustainability and climate goals.
Via flexible pay-as-you-go payment options, customers repay the cost of solar systems over 12 to 24 months through daily, weekly, or monthly instalments. Customers can pay as little as $0.21 a day via mobile money or cash.
This model lowers the financial barrier to clean energy and broadens access among underserved communities. To date, Sun King has extended $1.2 billion in loans to its customers across Africa.
In Nigeria, where nearly 40 per cent of the population lacks access to electricity, demand for affordable solar solutions is growing rapidly. The facility will support Sun King’s expansion in the country, especially in hard-to-reach communities.
“Millions of Nigerians still live without reliable access to electricity, which limits opportunity and undermines resilience.
“This investment enables scalable local-currency solutions that empower households and businesses with clean, affordable solar power.
“Beyond energy access, it supports rural employment, boosts productivity, and brings us closer to our shared goal of inclusive, sustainable development,” the IFC Regional Director for Central Africa and Anglophone West Africa, Dahlia Khalifa, stated.
“At Stanbic IBTC, we are proud to strengthen our partnership with Sun King through this transformative $80 million facility, which will empower millions of Nigerians with access to clean, reliable, and affordable solar energy who would otherwise struggle to access power.
“This collaboration underscores our commitment to fostering innovative solutions that address critical energy challenges in Nigeria while driving economic growth and improving the quality of life for underserved communities.
“By enabling households and small businesses to access solar power through flexible financing options, we are helping to build a more inclusive and sustainable future for Nigeria,” the chief executive of Stanbic Bank IBTC Capital Limited, Oladele Sotubo, said.
The co-founder of Sun King, Anish Thakkar, said, “Off-grid solar provides the fastest and most scalable pathway to universal electrification across Africa.
“This investment exemplifies the kind of bold, all-hands-on-deck approach required to deliver reliable, affordable energy to millions at the pace Mission 300 calls for.
“With structured financing tailored to local needs, we can dismantle affordability barriers and scale up the proven impact of off-grid solar solutions. We commend IFC and Standard Bank for their leadership in advancing sustainable energy access.”
Sun King is a leading off-grid solar provider, which designs, distributes, and finances solar systems across over 40 countries.
With a network of more than 29,500 agents across Africa, the company has sold over 27 million solar products.
The company sells a range of cost-effective solar products, from solar home systems that offer multi-room lighting and phone charging to powerful rooftop solar systems that provide power equity with the grid.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The customer experience (CX) platform of Zoho Corporation has been updated with new features designed to make CRM more accessible across organisations, not just for sales teams.
The global technology company in a statement said the platform has now been embedded with powerful new Artificial Intelligence (AI) and workflow orchestration features, driven by its in-house AI engine, Zia.
It stated that CRM for Everyone is now generally available globally, with enhanced Zia capabilities and new features like Connected Records and Connected Workflows.
The platform now features several agentic AI capabilities through Zia, allowing users to issue natural language prompts to generate reports instantly, with the ability to review, pause, and edit in real time.
Zia also enables custom module creation using plain language, allowing non-technical users to set up field types, permissions, and module structures effortlessly. Creating workflows is similarly simplified – Zia acts on behalf of the user to automate tasks.
Additionally, a unique “Image to Canvas” tool lets users convert images into functional design elements within the CRM interface, enhancing visual customisation.
The company also stated that CRM for Everyone now has Connected Records and Connected Workflows.
Connected Records automatically link tasks and data across departments, ensuring continuity throughout the customer journey, while Connected Workflows orchestrate tasks across multiple teams, enabling sales, marketing, onboarding, account management, finance, and legal departments to stay aligned with seamless access to contextual information. This ensures customers receive consistent experiences at every interaction point.
“Many people across departments need access to customer information, yet CRMs have traditionally been limited to sales.
“With CRM for Everyone, we’re democratising access and simplifying system use through Zia’s capabilities. Anyone can now create reports, workflows, or even redesign their CRM interface using simple prompts,” the Country Head of Zoho Nigeria, Mr Kehinde Ogundare, stated.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A prominent phone maker, Tecno, has launched Camon 40 Premier 5G to revolutionise mobile photography and everyday smartphone use.
The new product from the global innovative technology brand is armed with AI-powered imaging, seamless 5G connectivity, and high-speed performance, driven by an advanced MediaTek Dimensity 8350 processor.
It is marketed in Nigeria by Transsion, and is available at authorized Tecno retail outlets and platforms across the nation.
“The CAMON 40 Premier 5G represents a major leap forward in mobile photography and processing power.
“With MediaTek’s flagship-level Dimensity 8350 Ultimate chipset, users can experience effortless multitasking, smoother gaming, and superior energy efficiency.
“Whether you’re capturing cinematic videos or taking photos in motion with the AI FlashSnap, this device adapts intelligently to your needs by delivering consistently brilliant results with ease,” the chief executive of Transsion, Mr Chidi Okonkwo, said.
Business Post reports that the Camon 40 Series features four models; Camon 40, Camon 40 Pro, Camon 40 Pro 5G, and Camon 40 Premier 5G, each equipped with powerful capabilities to meet the evolving needs of modern smartphone users.
The Premier 5G, in particular, stands out with its advanced imaging system and performance technology tailored for creatives, tech-savvy users and those who value both aesthetics and functionality.
It is also equipped with a Sony IMX890 50MP OIS main camera, accompanied by a 50MP 2x portrait lens and a 114-degree ultra-wide 50MP autofocus camera.
Together, they enable DSLR-level photography, including professional-grade portraits, expansive landscapes and stunning low-light shots.
Additionally, the AI FlashSnap function ensures rapid, ultra-clear image capture even in dynamic scenarios, perfect for content creators and everyday users alike.
On the performance front, the MediaTek Dimensity 83500 Ultimate delivers flagship-level computing with an ultra-efficient 4nm architecture. The processor is built for sustained power, enabling high-speed 5G connectivity, vivid graphics rendering and real-time AI enhancements without draining battery life.
The Camon 40 Premier 5G also includes a vibrant AMOLED display, a vibration-sensing in-display fingerprint scanner, and a 5100mAh battery with 70W ultra-fast charging, providing a sleek yet powerful device that fits effortlessly into modern lifestyles.
With the Camon 40 Series, Tecno continues to redefine what a smartphone can achieve by combining cutting-edge technology with elegant design and unmatched affordability.
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