Kantar Millward Brown’s Meaningfully Different Framework receives global accreditation

Kantar Millward Brown’s brand equity assessment engine – Meaningfully Different Framework – has completed the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) metric audit process. MASB’s process, the Marketing Metric Audit Protocol (MMAP), is a formal, industry-recognised process for assessing connections from marketing activities and metrics to financial performance.

With more than 600 clients, 20,000 on-going applications, and a normative database consisting of over 120,000 brands, the Meaningfully Different Framework is the most broadly used equity assessment tool in the world. It is also integrated within Kantar Millward Brown’s equity and brand guidance solutions, as well as its creative assessment and media optimisation protocols, serving as a common equity impact currency across the Kantar Millward Brown portfolio.

The framework is also at the heart of WPP’s syndicated BrandZ™ offering, fuelling brand valuation analytics and the annual publication of the BrandZ™ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands.

“By putting the Meaningfully Different Framework through the MMAP protocol, Kantar Millward Brown has shown its commitment to developing disciplined, validated tools that link to financial outcomes and help marketing leaders make confident investment decisions,” said Frank Findley, MASB Executive Director and Chief Advisor of the MMAP Centre.

The Meaningfully Different Framework is built upon the validated premise that thriving brands meaningfully connect with a target audience, differentiate themselves from competition, and readily come to mind. The framework is applied based on quantitative data that is continually monitored.

Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Miguel Patricio remarked: “In the past, we’ve had different ways of measuring brand health in different countries, but now we have one language – the language of meaning, difference and salience – which we are embracing as a company.”

“Given the rigour that went into its development and validation, we were very comfortable taking the Meaningfully Different Framework through the third-party MMAP vetting process, where the tool was thoroughly evaluated against 10 criteria for ideal metrics, including relevance/actionability, predictive validity, sensitivity, simplicity, and transparency,” said Christopher Murphy, Chief Client Officer, Kantar North America.

“We were impressed with MASB’s diligence during this audit process, and we are proud to have completed the review and accreditation process.”

MASB is an organisation of top-tier marketers, measurement providers, industry associations and business academics devoted to establishing and advancing accountable marketing practices that drive business growth with tools like the new ISO brand evaluation standard, the MMAP Metric Catalogue and the Continuous Improvement in Return Assessment.