CV, MR, and IY — the metrics EMV should have been
AMEC's Barcelona Principles state that advertising value equivalents should not be used as a proxy for communication outcomes. The industry needed something better. IMS is EVA's open, documented attempt at that standard — not a proprietary black box, but an auditable framework with stated assumptions and known limitations.
Economic metrics
Three numbers. One decision.
IMS produces three economic outputs per creator post. Together they answer the CFO question: was this creator worth what we paid?
Content Value
The earned-media dollar value of a creator post.
CV is calculated per post from IMS Content Quality scores (five dimensions, 0–100 each), platform delivery signals, and creator-tier CPM benchmarks. It replaces flat EMV with a quality-weighted dollar output. Documented inputs: impressions, engagement reach, CQ dimension scores, platform multipliers.
Market Rate
The fair commissioning cost for a creator.
MR benchmarks what a creator at their tier and platform commands in the current market. It anchors pre-campaign budgets so teams negotiate from a defensible number, not a guess. MR is derived from aggregate benchmark ranges — not guaranteed transactional data.
Influence Yield
CV divided by MR — the efficiency ratio.
IY = CV ÷ MR. Greater than 1.0 means the creator delivered more value than they cost; below 1.0 means under-delivery. IY is the metric finance teams ask for: a single ratio that closes the loop on spend vs return. It inherits the assumptions of both CV and MR.
IMS Content Quality
Five scored dimensions
CV is not a single number guessed from follower count. It is scored across five Content Quality dimensions — each independently weighted, each auditable.
Dimension 01
Presentation
Production quality, visual composition, and professional execution. How the content appears, not just what it says.
Dimension 02
Messaging
Clarity and alignment of brand communication. Does the post deliver the intended message accurately and compellingly?
Dimension 03
Resonance
Audience response signal relative to the creator's baseline. Engagement quality, not just volume.
Dimension 04
Credibility
Authenticity of the creator's relationship with the product category. Does the endorsement read as genuine to their audience?
Dimension 05
Authenticity
Brand-fit consistency across the creator's content history. Alignment between creator identity and the brand being promoted.
Methodology
Assumptions and known limitations
Every methodology makes assumptions. We document ours so procurement, finance, and research teams can evaluate IMS on its merits — not on marketing claims.
CV is a quality-weighted estimate, not a transaction
Content Value scores each post using IMS CQ dimensions and CPM-style benchmarks. It reflects earned-media equivalency, not confirmed downstream sales attribution. Teams should use CV as a relative ranking and budget anchor — not as a direct revenue claim.
MR benchmarks are ranges, not guarantees
Market Rate is derived from aggregate creator economy benchmarks. Individual creator pricing varies materially by exclusivity, timing, deliverables, and relationship. MR gives a defensible starting point; it does not replace negotiation.
CQ dimension weights are fixed within a version
The five Content Quality dimension weights are calibrated per IMS version and documented in methodology change notes. They do not auto-adjust per brand or campaign. EVA is developing methodology for brand-specific weight profiles, pending standards-board review.
Outcome correlation is not yet independently validated
Internal calibration work is ongoing. IMS is designed with outcome validation as a goal — connecting CV scores to verified business outcomes like sales lift, brand search, and follower conversion. That validation requires sufficient longitudinal campaign data and is not yet complete.
IMS is versioned. The current release is v2.1. Methodology change notes, governance charter, and the full public whitepaper are available on request during a briefing.
Request the full methodology brief
The 45-minute briefing includes the full IMS whitepaper, scoring examples from live programs, and answers to SIG Lite / CAIQ questions from your InfoSec team.