What drives consumer purchasing intent? How can social media analysis deliver consumer insights into how to position marketing strategy? To answer these questions, we did an analysis on two well-respected headphone brands with completely different marketing approaches. We dove deep into contextualizing online converations to discover a comparison of top personal sound system competitors.

1. Beats vs. Bose
Deep Dive Report
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M

2. C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
Lifestyle Brand Marketing
VS.
Product-Focused Marketing

3. 3
BREAKDOWN
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
BEATS VS. BOSE ANALYSIS 08.03.13 –
02.06.14
Brands Volume Positive
Sentiment
Intent to
Purchase
Positive
Marketing
Soun
d
Qualit
y
Top
Complaint
Strongest
Affinities
900,881
posts
49% 10% 31%
Endorsements
22% 11%
Tech Issues
Basketball,
Hip Hop,
ESPN
168,371
posts
63% 3% 52%
Campaigns
23% 28%
Tech
Issues
Travel,
Health,
Soccer

4. 4
AFFINITIES
Individuals who discuss Beats tend
to have strong affinities for
basketball, pop and hip-hop, and
other music platforms
Individuals who discuss Bose
tend to have strong affinities
for travel, health, soccer, and
other consumer technology
BEATS VS. BOSE ANALYSIS 08.03.13 – 02.06.14

5. C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M

6. Brand
Beats
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M

7. 7
BRAND
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
BEATS ANALYSIS 08.01.13 – 02.06.14
QUICK HITS
890,472
Relevant Posts
TOTAL
25,599
Relevant Posts
PEAK
DAY
SENTIMENT
42% Positive
23% Negative
35% Neutral
BeatsMusicReleased

8. Brand: Drivers of Sentiment
890,472 Relevant Posts
• Positive sentiment was primarily driven by
consumers expressing excitement towards the
brand (25%) and intent to purchase Beats products
in the future (10%).
• Customer Service only accounted for 1% of the
positive conversation.
• Negative sentiment was driven by general
dissatisfaction with the Beats brand (9%), as well as
criticism towards their marketing campaigns (7%)
and customer service (7%).
8
BRAND
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
BEATS ANALYSIS 08.01.13 – 02.06.14

9. 9
BRAND TOPICS
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
BEATS ANALYSIS 08.01.13 – 02.06.14

10. Marketing
Beats
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M

11. 11
MARKETING
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
BEATS ANALYSIS 08.01.13 – 02.06.14
QUICK HITS
41,467
Relevant Posts
TOTAL
3,151
Relevant Posts
PEAK
DAY
SENTIMENT
49% Positive
32% Negative
19% Neutral
Kaepernick‘HearWhatYouWant’Campaign
Sherman‘HearWhatYouWant’Campaign
Eminem&BeatsPillCommercialsDebut
RKelly/GagaCommercial

12. Marketing: Drivers of Sentiment
41,467 Relevant Posts
• On January 20th the day the Sherman ‘Hear
What You Want’ campaign aired during the
NFL Playoffs, conversation peaked with
3,151 posts.
• Endorsements accounted for roughly 31% of
positive sentiment towards Beats marketing.
• Only 2% found the campaigns to be
Aggressive/Annoying.
• Humor-driven campaigns only accounted for
1% of the conversation.
12
MARKETING
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
BEATS ANALYSIS 08.01.13 – 02.06.14

13. 13
MARKETING TOPICS
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
BEATS ANALYSIS 08.01.13 – 02.06.14

14. Products
Beats
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M

15. 15
PRODUCT
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
BEATS ANALYSIS 08.01.13 – 02.06.14
QUICK HITS
178,589
Relevant
Posts
TOTAL
16,822
Relevant
PostsPEAK
DAY
SENTIMENT
37% Positive
15%
Negative
47% Neutral
BeatsPillCommercialDebut

16. Product: Drivers of Sentiment
178,589 Relevant Posts
• On August 25th, the day the Beats Pill Miley
Cyrus campaign aired, conversation peaked
with16,822 posts.
• Almost half of conversation was driven by
consumers sharing links and news about
Beats products.
• Sound quality accounted for less than 1%of
negative sentiment.
• Issues with the technology was the largest
negative category at 11%.
• Sound Quality was the greatest driver of
positive sentiment.
16
PRODUCT
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
BEATS ANALYSIS 08.01.13 – 02.06.14

17. 17
PRODUCT TOPICS
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
BEATS ANALYSIS 08.01.13 – 02.06.14

18. C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M

19. Brand
Bose
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M

20. 20
BRAND
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
BOSE ANALYSIS 08.01.13 – 02.06.14
QUICK HITS
165,661
Relevant Posts
TOTAL
9,656
Relevant Posts
PEAK
DAY
SENTIMENT
41% Positive
13% Negative
46% Neutral
QuietComfortReviews

21. Brand: Drivers of Sentiment
165,661 Relevant Posts
• Almost half of the conversation was driven by
consumers sharing reviews and articles about
Bose products.
• Positive sentiment was primarily driven by
comments surrounding the quality of Bose
products (29%) as well as discussion about their
customer service (5%).
• Negative sentiment was largely driven by
consumer discussion about how Bose products
did not meet their expectations (13%).
21
BRAND
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
BOSE ANALYSIS 08.01.13 – 02.06.14

22. 22
BRAND TOPICS
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
BOSE ANALYSIS 08.01.13 – 02.06.14

23. Marketing
Bose
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M

24. 24
MARKETING
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
BOSE ANALYSIS 08.01.13 – 02.06.14
QUICK HITS
2,254
Relevant Posts
TOTAL
169
Relevant Posts
PEAK
DAY
SENTIMENT
63% Positive
21% Negative
16% Neutral
QC20sFeaturedin‘BloodRush’
QC20&SoundLinkMiniCommercialsAir

25. Marketing: Drivers of Sentiment
2,254 Relevant Posts
• On November 6th, the day the QuietComfort
20’s were featured in television series
‘Blood Arrow’, conversation peaked with
169 posts.
• Over 50% of conversation was driven by
consumers expressing positive sentiment
about Bose’s advertising campaigns.
• Neutral sentiment (16%) was driven by users
sharing links and articles about Bose products
and marketing.
• Negative sentiment represented just over
20% of conversation; this commentary
stemmed from general discontent with Bose’s
advertising campaigns.
25
MARKETING
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
BOSE ANALYSIS 08.01.13 – 02.06.14

26. 26
MARKETING TOPICS
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
BOSE ANALYSIS 08.01.13 – 02.06.14

27. Products
Bose
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M

28. 28
PRODUCT
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
BOSE ANALYSIS 08.01.13 – 02.06.14
QUICK HITS
30,192
Relevant Posts
TOTAL
940
Relevant Posts
PEAK
DAY
SENTIMENT
39% Positive
46% Negative
15% Neutral

29. Product: Drivers of Sentiment
30,192 Relevant Posts • Product conversation peaked on December
25th with 940 posts, as consumers
discussed receiving Bose products as
Christmas gifts.
• Roughly half of the conversation consisted
of unfavorable product reviews; in
particular, 28% discussed technical issues
with their devices.
• Positive sentiment was primarily driven by
excitement with the exceptional sound quality
from Bose products (23%).
• Neutral sentiment was driven by users
sharing links to articles about a range of Bose
products.
29
PRODUCT
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
BOSE ANALYSIS 08.01.13 – 02.06.14

30. 30
PRODUCT TOPICS
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
BOSE ANALYSIS 08.01.13 – 02.06.14

31. 31
KEY TAKEAWAYS
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
BOSE VS. BEATS ANALYSIS 08.03.13 – 02.03.14
• Comparison of top personal sound system competitors Bose and Beats by Dre
• Beats uses endorsement-heavy marketing to promote their brand.
• Bose emphasizes product quality and functional attributes in their marketing.
• Both have strong positive brand discussion, but how does chatter about their
products and marketing efforts compare?
• Analyzing consumers’ product experiences and campaign reactions on social media
helped us understand what really drives loyalty to each brand.
• Positive sentiment for Beats marketing was significant, and tended to be driven by
the athlete and celebrity endorsements.
• Negative sentiment for Bose products outweighed positive sentiment, and was mainly
driven by technical issues.
• Affinities for Beats align with a younger, hip audience, while affinities for Bose reflect
a more sophisticated, mature consumer base.

32. Appendix
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M

33. 33
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
VERBATIMBEATS ANALYSIS 08.01.13 – 02.06.14
CATEGORY AUTHOR POST
Positive
General Positive @AGreenEagle Beats by dre are the best headphones
Intent/ Desire to
Purchase
@JassieBabeee I WANT SOME DRE BEATS
Marketing/Advertising @rlkkukg The beats speaker commercial is hot
Customer Service @_yblehs @beatsbydre has the absolute best customer service
Negative
General Negative @Legandary_FDA I sweat I hate beats by dre right now
Marketing/Advertising @dylanarm_ Whoever approved that beats pill commercial should be fired.
Customer Service/Tech
Issues
@BillieMyers
Wow, Really bad customer service! @beatsbydre they can’t even send you out replacement
earbuds for free. Won’t be buying again I can tell you.

34. 34
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
VERBATIMBEATS ANALYSIS 08.01.13 – 02.06.14
CATEGORY AUTHOR POST
Neutral
Shared Articles/Links @AestheticBird Beats by dre https://t.co/fUvjloUuFa
Keywords: ((beats AND (audio OR music OR dre OR headphone
OR "head phone" OR earphone OR "ear phone"OR
earbud OR "ear bud" OR sound OR speaker OR pill))
OR beatsbydre) AND -(bids OR bid OR jobs)
• Posts about Beat products on sale were considered irrelevant to focus on consumer commentary.
• Content sources included
• Full Twitter Firehose
• English Content Only
• Other sources (news, blogs, forums, Facebook) were not included

35. 35
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
VERBATIMBOSE ANALYSIS 08.01.13 – 02.06.14
CATEGORY AUTHOR POST
Positive
General Positive @PD_da_Phenom There’s no audio company better than Bose. I live by that.
Intent/ Desire to
Purchase
@balleyteel I want to buy a Bose sound system for my new room.
Marketing/Advertising @seharishxox I love Bose adverts.
Customer Service @Tommy_Crofti It’s official, Bose has the best customer service ever. #bose
Negative
General Negative @Glams_Eccentric And I immediately hate the Bose SIE2
Marketing/Advertising @brazy_zack9 That Bose commercial was lame af -_-
Customer Service/Tech
Issues
@slypup30VK
Some advice… Don’t buy anything from Bose. Shambles of a company! Awful, awful, awful
customer service#

36. 36
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
VERBATIMBOSE ANALYSIS 08.01.13 – 02.06.14
CATEGORY AUTHOR POST
Neutral
Shared Articles/Links @amceo
Bose AE2 audio headphones (Black) review: http://t.co/b7x53PrBsw
Keywords:
Bose AND -(netaji OR subhas OR subhash OR
chandra OR job OR bid OR bids)
• Posts about Bose products on sale were considered irrelevant to focus on consumer commentary.
• Content sources included
• Full Twitter Firehose
• English Content Only
• Other sources (news, blogs, forums, Facebook) were not included

37. 37
METHODOLOGY
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
BEATS VS. BOSE ANALYSIS 08.01.13 – 02.06.14
WHERE DID THE DATA WITHIN THIS REPORT COME FROM?
This report analyzes the size of and themes within the conversations around Beats and Bose audio products. The analysis was generated by
Crimson Hexagon’s patented and proprietary analysis system. Crimson Hexagon was developed at Harvard University’s Center for
Quantitative Social Science; its detailed methodology is publically available.
WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS DO YOU ANALYZE?
Crimson Hexagon actively collects content from across the social web; its proprietary content library holds almost 300 Billion posts.
This index includes the Twitter Firehose — 100% of public Tweets—as well as a robust (though not complete) sample from
Facebook, Sina Weibo, blogs, forums, comments, news sites, and more. The subset of the content analyzed for this report was determined by
a set of keywords for each brand in each language. Details are listed in this presentation’s appendix. In addition, this report focuses on text-
based content only; analytics for image-based social media will be provided at a later date by the marketing team.
HOW WERE THE THEMES WITHIN THIS REPORT IDENTIFIED AND QUANTIFIED?
Crimson Hexagon’s process begins with a human analyst, who identifies the most appropriate topics of conversation to quantify. The analyst
then classifies a sample of Tweets that best represent those topics. After that, Crimson Hexagon’s algorithm determines what proportion of the
conversation are part of the human-identified theme.
WHO IS CRIMSON HEXAGON?
Crimson Hexagon, founded in 2007, is the leading provider of analysis software that delivers business intelligence from social media data for
global corporations. Fast Company named Crimson Hexagon one of the Top 10 Most Innovative Companies on the Web. Powered by
patented technology developed at Harvard University’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science, the Crimson Hexagon ForSightTM platform
delivers the industry’s most comprehensive Big Data analysis capabilities for a variety of large-scale data sources. Clients include leading
global organizations such as: Microsoft, Paramount Pictures, Starbucks, Simon & Schuster, Twitter, The United Nations, and many more. For
more information go to: http:// www.crimsonhexagon.com

38. 38
Learn More
C R I M S O N H E X A G O N . C O M
About Crimson Hexagon’s BrightView™
Algorithm
Click Here for An Introduction To
BrightView ™ Algorithm