Benefits of CARMA's Human-Based Analysis

While CARMA offers automated media analysis tools for top-line evaluation, we strongly believe in the benefits of a human-based analysis research approach to assess the content and favorability of all types of media coverage. CARMA believes that even the most advanced automated approaches do not yet have the ability to accurately assess written or spoken communications, including language complexities such as sarcasm, irony or humor. Furthermore, software solutions cannot understand the context in which a development occurs, as software solutions have no knowledge of current events, history, and popular sentiment. Lastly, software solutions cannot assess properly pictures or other graphics accompanying the text of a story or blog post.

For instance, while working on a social media report, CARMA analysts encountered a message board discussion where a poster mentioned that “free BBQ grills” were available at several well-known supermarket and retail chains. The post was meant to be humorous, but this meaning could be understood only because of the post's inclusion of a photo of a traditional shopping cart placed over an open flame, creating a “free grill.” To software solutions, this post would be deemed to be favorable toward the listed stores because the post indicated that they were giving away “free grills.” But, the humor of the post was not lost on CARMA’s human analysts, and this discussion was assessed accurately by CARMA as being inconsequential for the retailers. Examples like this post are why CARMA only uses trained human researchers for its customized in-depth research and media analysis service.

Next Section: What Does Media Measurement Cost?