Data Usage Policy

Updated: March 2013

The purpose of this document is to state the policy for clients citing any comScore data in the public domain. The policy is as follows:

  • Companies using comScore data for promotional purposes must be current comScore clients unless said data have already been placed into the public domain by an authorized party and are accurate. In this context,public domainincludes comScore websites, comScore press releases and/or articles in the media. Even in such situations, non-clients are required to comply with other relevant usage guidelines as detailed below.
  • Clients must notify and seek the approval of their Client Service contact(s) and/or the comScore Marketing Communications team before publishing any comScore data. The Client Service contact must send all requests for approval to the head of Marketing Communications for clearance.
  • Citations of rank must mention the ranking in some context, such as a category, according to comScore’s Ranked Category view. If the client refers to a category other than as defined by comScore, the ranking must be prominently footnoted as follows: *XYZ category as custom-defined by (Client Name).
  • Any marketing or promotional language citing a client’s custom ranking must indicate that it is according to their own custom ranking and should not bedirectlyattributed to comScore, though it should mention that the custom ranking was created using comScore data. (e.g. “PQR is the leading entity in XYZ category*”; footnote: *According to PQR’s custom-defined ranking based on comScore data.)
  • Any “custom” (syndicated or proprietary) measures or reports from which data are quoted must be appropriately referenced as such through footnotes. Example: *Custom research conducted for (Client Name) by comScore (Month, Year).
  • If a client does not wish to note in its press release all URLs (syndicated and proprietary) that compose a custom entity or report being cited, then comScore reserves the right to share the definition with inquiring clients and news media. Data transparency is essential for publicly cited information, and interested parties should be able to vet the validity behind such public claims.
  • If a client refers to a specific, standard comScore Media Metrix report, whether custom or syndicated, the report must be appropriately cited using the proper name of the report.
  • Proper data periods and measures must be noted in all client releases.
  • Specific and accurate entity descriptions in the citation must be consistent with the labels used in comScore Media Metrix – e.g. “Match.com” vs. “Match.com Sites”, whichever appears in the table.
  • Rankings may not be based on Unified Digital Measurement (UDM) or non-UDM sub-sets of a category (e.g. “XYZ is the #1 ranked UDM site in the Sports category” when it is ranked #5 overall in the category).
  • As of the release of May 2010 data, UDM reporting is the official public source of record for individual site data and category rankings in all markets. In markets where both UDM and panel-only data are available for a particular time period, panel data may be used for informational purposes but should not be referred to in any public communications.
  • Clients should avoid making claims of inorganic growth (whether referring to rates of growth or moves within a ranking) that are primarily attributable to the adoption of the UDM methodology, wherever possible. However, in some cases clients will only be able to compare UDM to non-UDM data when referring to growth trends. Such instances are permitted, provided that the growth trend is accompanied by a footnote indicating the following: “[Entity] transitioned to comScore’s UDM methodology in [date]. Data trend is based on a comparison of UDM to [non/partial] UDM data and may include inorganic growth due to the change in methodology.”
  • Clients may refer to their Media Metrix Multi-Platform audience estimates and rankings following the conclusion of its Beta period with the release of February 2013 data.  Data may be reported either at the aggregate level or for individual media channels (i.e. Total Digital Population or PC, Mobile), with appropriate sourcing Media Metrix Multi-Platform. Clients are cautioned to be careful when reporting trends going back to the Beta period as the comparisons may not be methodologically consistent. Accordingly, such references should include sourcing indicating the referenced time periods that are from Beta reporting (i.e. through January 2013).
  • Clients who quote comScore data alongside other data sources must clearly distinguish the different data sets (either those of comScore and another data provider or different comScore data sets, such as standard and custom categories).
  • comScore Media Metrix data should be referenced as provided by andigital audience measurementorratingsservice, not a “survey” or “study,” unless a study or survey component was specifically involved in the research.
  • comScore employees may not be quoted making promotional comments in client press releases. We must maintain our standing as an objective, third party measurement standard and cannot appear to endorse one client over another. There may be specific exceptions in which inclusion does not jeopardize our objective standing (e.g. industry associations such as the OPA, IAB or NAA that commission comScore research for the benefit of an entire industry or sector).
  • Clients who wish to include a description of comScore in press releases may do so. The most recent comScore Company Information may be found in the press area of our Web site: www.comscore.com/companyinfo.
  • Any inclusion of comScore Marketing Solutions data must be reviewed and approved by the appropriate CMS team. Such data must specifically be attributed to the division that produced it. Such citations also need to be reviewed by the Marketing Communications department.
  • comScore corporate and business unit names are trademarks and should be correctly spelled accordingly. This includes the proper use of capitalization, even at the beginning of a sentence or paragraph. For example:
    • comScore, Inc.
    • comScore Media Metrix
    • comScore Mobile Metrix
    • comScore AdEffx
    • comScore Marketing Solutions