How are the Reach Performance Values Calculated?

Mercury is designed so that performance values are calculated consistently across all channels. To correctly calculate all metrics, you must enter the Gross Reach, OTS (or Frequency in the broadest sense), and the Target Group Potential.

The Necessary Input Values

At the placement level (e.g., Inventory Item or Buy item ), you must record the following base values so that Mercury can calculate the remaining key figures:

• Gross Reach (or Impressions):
  This is the total number of contacts generated by an advertising medium, regardless of whether it is the same person.
• OTS (Opportunity To See) or Frequency:
  This metric indicates how often an average person sees the advertising medium. Enter the planned or predicted frequency here. For classic channels (e.g., TV, print, online), the term is OTS, while Frequency is more commonly used for Social media. In Mercury, you use the OTS field in both cases.
• Target Group Potential:
  This is the total size of your targeted audience (in absolute numbers), which allows Mercury to calculate the percentage reach.

Optional Value: Target Group Share

By default, Mercury calculates with a Target Group Share of 100 %. This means it is assumed that the entire Gross Reach reaches the desired target group.

• You can adjust the Target Group Share as a percentage to account for wastage and reduce the calculated Gross Reach in Target Group.
• If you do not change the value (i.e., it remains at 100 %), the values for Net Reach and Net Reach in Target Group are identical.

The Calculated Key Figures

Once the base values (Gross Reach and OTS) have been entered, Mercury automatically calculates the following performance values:

• Net Reach (Absolute):
  The number of individual people (contacts) reached. Calculated from: (Gross Reach / OTS).
• Net Reach in Target Group (Absolute):
  The number of individual people within the target group reached. Calculated from: (Gross Reach in Target Group / OTS).
• Net Reach in Target Group in Percent:
  The percentage of your target group that you have reached. Calculated from: (Net Reach in Target Group / Target Group Potential).
• GRP in TG (Gross Rating Points):
  Is only summed up and is available as soon as all necessary values (Gross Reach, OTS, Potential) are entered.

Note: If you want to see the percentage Net Reach in the Target Group as a result, you must always enter the Target Group Potential, as Mercury otherwise does not know the basis for the percentage calculation.