Bose, MetroPCS and U.S. Bank Awarded Most Improved Brands by Engagement Labs TotalSocial® Brand Awards

NEW YORK, May 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- With consumer conversations driving 19 percent of sales, it is no surprise that marketers want to improve how much and how positively consumers are talking about their brands. In a recent analysis of more than 500 consumer brands in a variety of categories, Engagement Labs identified the top brands that saw the most improvement of conversations happening online (via social media) and offline (via face-to-face conversations), as part of its TotalSocial^® Brand Awards series.

The awards are based on the Company's proprietary TotalSocial data, which continuously measures the four most important drivers of brand performance. These are: brand sharing (the extent to which people are sharing or talking about a brand's marketing or advertising), sentiment (having more positive than negative conversations), volume (a measure of how many conversations mention a brand) and influence (the extent to which an influential audience is talking about a brand). The Most Improved Award is given to brands with the largest improvement in their TotalSocial scores for 2017 compared to their performance in 2016.

To find the full list of winners across additional categories, click here.

"When evaluating what criteria catapulted brands to a significant year-over-year improvement, more positive sentiment was a key driving factor," said Ed Keller, CEO of Engagement Labs. "This is an important lesson for brand marketers. It's not just about generating large quantities of conversations, it's about generating positive conversations, and minimizing negative ones, in order to propel a brand forward."

According to the Engagement Labs report, the number one most improved brand for TotalSocial Offline was Bose. The increase was attributed to the brand's offline sentiment score – which indicates that consumers are speaking more positively about the brand, year-over-year, during face-to-face conversations. Consumers were more likely to respond positively in light of Bose's commitment to product innovation, including the release of its new noise-canceling headphones developed with the help of Google. In fact, their offline scores peaked in August, when the company "accidentally" released a picture of its new headphones in a company newsletter.

Cisco, ranked second for most improved offline conversation, saw an increase in offline sentiment and offline brand sharing – an indication that consumers are talking about the brand's marketing during face-to-face conversations. In fact, Cisco's TotalSocial offline score increased during the second half of 2017 which was due to its "The Network. Intuitive. Explained" ad, featuring Game of Thrones' star Peter Dinklage.

Ranking third for most improved offline conversation, Michael's Stores saw an increase in its offline sentiment and offline influence score – which indicates there is an influential audience advocating for the brand through offline conversations. In fact, Michael's Stores went from below average in 2016 to above average in 2017 upon announcing their "Vision 2020 Strategy," a plan to launch a "more data-driven approach to retail operations" and a more omni-channel retail experience for consumers.

The top-ranked brand for most improved online conversation went to U.S. Bank due to its increase in online sentiment and online influence. Similarly, MetroPCS, which ranked second in the online category, also saw increases in online sentiment and influence. MetroPCS' increase in sentiment is particularly noteworthy as it took the company from a below average score in sentiment to above-average performance.

The third place runner-up for most improved online conversation, Ashley Home Furniture, showcased its corporate social responsibility by sponsoring "Hope to Dream" sleep events with the Miami Dolphins and a Minor League Baseball team, the Clearwater Thrashers, which gave new mattresses, bedding and pillows to kids in need. This campaign from the furniture retailer contributed to an increase in its online sentiment score.

"The six brands on the most improved ranking all have reason to be proud of their improving TotalSocial performances, even though they each achieved them in different ways," added Keller. "These brands are on a solid path toward business improvement, given the linkage between a Company's business outcomes and TotalSocial scores. Our research shows that a ten percent improvement in TotalSocial scores will lead to a nearly three percent improvement in consumer sales for the average brand."

To learn more about Engagement Labs and how to increase your brand's word of mouth in real life and online, reach out at: [email protected].

To learn more about the TotalSocial Brand Awards, click here.

About Engagement Labs

Engagement Labs (TSXV:EL) is an industry-leading data and analytics firm that focuses on the entire social ecosystem and its impact on businesses. Engagement Labs' TotalSocial® platform provides brands with unique online (social media) and offline (word of mouth) insights, and predictive analytics achieved through machine learning, to reveal the social metrics and insights that will increase marketing ROI and top line revenue. TotalSocial, which tracks 500 brands, is the only platform that provides marketers with proprietary brand data, industry and competitive intelligence and in-depth analysis of what drives performance and how to improve, while tracking KPI's and goals.

To learn more visit www.engagementlabs.com / www.totalsocial.com.

For media inquiries please contact:

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SOURCE Engagement Labs

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