Double-click to select the desired comparison base if it is already listed (image 1). The charts will then refresh and calculate the ratio by default. Utilizing a ratio makes the most sense when the comparison base object is a domain (i.e. Personal Care) or an object which the focus object ‘belongs to’ (the brand Olay is a part of the Organization ‘Procter & Gamble’). To view the ratio of the object to the comparison base for a specific month, week, or day, hover over that month, week, or day.

In the refreshed visual, the blue line indicates the focus object’s share, or ratio, of the comparison base’s total conversations. The gray bars represent the comparison base’s total conversations (image 2).

Any object in the database may be used as a comparison base. However, certain comparisons do not make sense. The most common, logical comparisons leverage the market domain, broader category, or a branded competitor. If the desired comparison base is not listed, it may be added.

Click the ‘…’ at the top right of the comparison base box (or right-click anywhere within the comparison base) and select Add Objects from the drop-down menu (image 3).

Type the name of the desired object into the search field at the top of the Object Pick window. Then, double-click the focus object to load it into the Objects Picked field at the bottom of the window. Finally, click OK to finalize changes (image 4).

In the case of using a branded competitor as a comparison base, graphing the objects as a ratio of one another does not make the most sense. Rather, graph the objects on separate scales to view the activity of each without taking into account relative post volume, or on the same scale to assess the objects’ growth patterns and size relative to one another (image 5).