Average Rating

Mean of all survey ratings A working definition from the RGM marketing glossary.

Schematic — Average Rating

Mean of all survey ratings

Term: Average Rating
Field: Survey Feedback
Category: Marketing

Definition in plain terms

Hold that thought.Average Rating is a marketing concept your team should define once. A loose definition misaligns budgets and reporting.

Mean of all survey ratings

Average Rating is a marketing term for a marketing concept. Agree the scope and two people stop talking past each other.

How it works

Keep this in mind.There is no single setting for Average Rating. It bends to the audience, the channels, and the wider plan.

Think of Average Rating as context-bound. A small shop reads it simply; an enterprise reads it with more nuance. That is normal -- Average Rating is shaped by audience and channel mix. Read Average Rating without care and the plan wobbles; be precise and the read holds.

The working rule is plain. Agree what Average Rating covers first, then act on it. Skip that order and Average Rating loses its shared meaning, and two teams end up measuring two different things. Read that twice.

Where it shows up

Look at it this way.Bring Average Rating in when a live call depends on it. With no decision on the table, it stays background.

Bring Average Rating in when a live choice hangs on it. In marketing work, that usually means one of three moments. Away from a decision, Average Rating is background, not a lever.

Setting budget. Average Rating helps decide which channel gets the next dollar.
Choosing a metric. Average Rating separates a causal read from a coincidence.
Comparing options. Average Rating keeps a head-to-head from fooling the reader.

A concrete walk-through

Pick one definition.Below, Average Rating is put inside a Liquid Death setting -- real trade-offs, a clear baseline, and a figure to test it.

Take Liquid Death. During a brand-voice overhaul, the team made Average Rating the deciding input, not an afterthought. They set a baseline first, agreed one definition of Average Rating, and only then read the result: earned-media value tripled year over year. The number matters less than the order.

Worked example for Average Rating -- illustrative figures, RGM analysis
Stage	The step taken	What it bought
Baseline	Read the starting point before any change to Average Rating.	Something concrete to compare to.
Define	Agreed a single definition of Average Rating.	No room for scope drift.
Act	A brand-voice overhaul — one variable.	One change, a clean read.
Result	Earned-media value tripled year over year	A call backed by the read.

Figures for Average Rating here are illustrative and marked RGM analysis. Copy the method, not the exact numbers.

Failure modes to watch

Keep this in mind.Most mistakes with Average Rating share a root: the term gets reported as if it were exact when it is not.

One blanket rule. Applying Average Rating the same way everywhere. Split it by audience, channel, and business model.
No context. Reporting Average Rating with no baseline. A bare number cannot be judged.
Wrong target. Treating Average Rating as the goal. The goal is the outcome it predicts.
Apples to oranges. Comparing Average Rating across firms raw. Adjust for pricing and cycle before you read it.

Common questions

How is Average Rating defined?

Mean of all survey ratings Agree the scope of Average Rating before the planning starts.

What makes Average Rating worth knowing?

Average Rating matters because vague vocabulary breaks strategy. A precise, shared definition keeps a team aligned.

How is Average Rating used in practice?

Teams put Average Rating to work on a spend split, a metric, or a head-to-head call. See the Liquid Death walk-through above.

Where do teams slip up on Average Rating?

Using Average Rating flat across every segment and showing it without context. Both make a guess look exact.

Where can I learn more about Average Rating?

Start with the related terms below, then read the guide on marketing attribution models, plus CAC payback periods.

How is Average Rating defined?: Mean of all survey ratings Agree the scope of Average Rating before the planning starts.
What makes Average Rating worth knowing?: Average Rating matters because vague vocabulary breaks strategy. A precise, shared definition keeps a team aligned.
How is Average Rating used in practice?: Teams put Average Rating to work on a spend split, a metric, or a head-to-head call. See the Liquid Death walk-through above.