Engagement Labs Awarded 2017 Best Paper from Advertising Research Foundation

Journal of Advertising Research Honors the Company's Groundbreaking Study Proving Lack of Correlation Between Online and Offline Conversations About Brands

MONTREAL and NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., March 28, 2018 /CNW/ -- The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has announced that Engagement Labs (TSX VENTURE: EL) (OTCQB:  ELBSF), an industry-leading data and analytics firm that focuses on the entire social ecosystem and its impact on businesses, has received the 2017 Best Practitioner Paper award by the Journal of Advertising Research, for its innovative study demonstrating the degree to which online and offline conversations are very different from each other.

The article, "Why Online Word-of-Mouth Measures Cannot Predict Brand Outcomes Offline: Volume, Sentiment, Sharing, and Influence Metrics Yield Scant Online–Offline WOM Correlations" (June 2017, 57[2]), explores the extent to which social media and real-world conversations differ from each other, as well as how the lack of correlation suggests a need for marketers to develop separate digital and offline social strategies. The study analyzed online and offline conversation data for 500 U.S. brands distributed across 16 diverse product and service categories over a twelve-month period and provides evidence as to why online social media conversations alone are not reliable for predicting brand performance in its totality. The research lends empirical proof for why Engagement Labs launched TotalSocial^®, the only data and analytics platform that combines online and offline data with predictive analytics linking these metrics to brand outcomes.

"Receiving this honor from the ARF validates the power of the data and insights of our TotalSocial data and analytics platform and the potential it has to influence how brand marketers plan and measure their marketing for maximum ROI and revenue growth," said Brad Fay, Chief Commercial Officer at Engagement Labs and co-author of the winning paper. "As social channels continue to rise in importance, we are confident that our comprehensive data and analytics will become increasingly valuable."

"A Journal of Advertising Research Best Paper is recognized for its originality, clarity, scope of work, and the potential to influence business practice and future research. This winning paper from Engagement Labs was successful in fully meeting these requirements," added Nanette Burns, Managing Editor at the Journal of Advertising Research.

The award was announced at the ARF's annual ConsumerXScience conference in New York City on March 27. Best Papers are selected for their originality, clarity, scope of work, and the potential to influence business practice and future research.

The Company is presenting two significant studies at the ConsumerXScience conference during the following sessions:

• Topic: "The Remarkable Influence of Millennial Men"
  Speakers: Brad Fay and Maggie Fosdick, Engagement Labs' Vice President of Client Success
  Date/Time: March 27 at 10:50 a.m. ET.
  Description: The session will focus on how to recalibrate marketing for Millennial Men, a demographic which now exceeds young women as influential consumers.
• Topic: "This Month's Brand Conversations Produce Next Month's Sales"
  Speakers: Ed Keller, CEO at Engagement Labs and Koen Pauwels, Ph.D. and Professor of Marketing at Northeastern University
  Date/Time: March 28 at 11:40 a.m. ET.
  Description: The session will focus on the Company's landmark modeling study which provides marketers with the keys to unlock brand growth through social influence.
  

The Journal of Advertising Research (JAR), the flagship research journal of the ARF, acts as the research and development vehicle for professionals in all areas of marketing including media, research, advertising and communications. The JAR provides a forum for sharing findings, applications, new technologies and methodologies, and avenues of solution. Its primary audience is the practitioner at all levels of practice, and academics at all levels of research.

About Engagement Labs
Engagement Labs (TSXV: EL) (OTCQB:  ELBSF) is an industry-leading data and analytics firm that focuses on the entire social ecosystem and its impact on businesses. Engagement Labs' TotalSocial platform provides brands with unique online (social media) and offline (word of mouth) insights, and predictive analytics achieved through machine learning, to reveal the social metrics and insights that will increase marketing ROI and top line revenue. TotalSocial, which tracks 500 brands, is the only platform that provides marketers with proprietary brand data, industry and competitive intelligence and in-depth analysis of what drives performance and how to improve, while tracking KPI's and goals. 
To learn more visit www.engagementlabs.com / www.totalsocial.com.

Disclaimer in regards to Forward-looking Statements
Certain statements included herein constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management at this time, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, Engagement Labs does not intend, and undertakes no obligation, to update any forward-looking statements to reflect, in particular, new information or future events.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For media inquiries please contact:
Kate Tumino / Amrita Singh
KCSA Strategic Communications
ktumino@kcsa.com / asingh@kcsa.com
212-896-1252 / 212-896-1207

Ed Keller, CEO
Engagement Labs
ed.keller@engagementlabs.com
732-846-6800

SOURCE Engagement Labs