Updated November 2026
A marketing statistic is usable only if you can name the primary source, the year, the sample and what was measured. This checklist is the one we apply to every figure published on our pages.
Five checks before citing a statistic
- Find the primary source: the report, the study or the institute that produced the number, not the blog that repeats it.
- Note the year and the date of the data: forecasts and actuals are different things.
- Check the sample: who was surveyed, how many, in which country.
- Check what was measured: stated intention, recall, or actual sales are not interchangeable.
- If you cannot trace the number to a primary source, do not publish it.
Sources
- University of Malta, guerrilla advertising thesis
- World Out of Home Organization, 2026 expenditure report
- Ignition, guerrilla marketing recall rate KPI
Examples from our own research
In guerrilla marketing, recall rates of 75% or 86% circulate widely but we could not tie them to any identifiable study, so we do not publish them. In event marketing, the 85% figure has the same problem. By contrast, the World Out of Home Organization publishes its own expenditure report with a stated year and scope.
Why this matters for a mascot brand
Claims about what a mascot or a street campaign achieves should rest on named studies. Our mascot pages state what we make, in your colours and with your logo, without promising a measured uplift.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a marketing statistic reliable?
A named primary source, a year, a described sample and a clear definition of what was measured.
What should I do with a figure I cannot trace?
Leave it out, or say explicitly that its origin could not be verified.