How Are Q Scores Calculated?

When celebrities go off the deep end, we’ll hear folks say they've “damaged their Q rating.” What does that really mean? What is a Q Score in the first place? Let’s take a look at the mysterious numbers.

How are Q Scores calculated?

The methodology behind the mysterious ratings is actually fairly straightforward. Marketing Evaluations, Inc. polls a representative national sample about performers, brands, TV shows, or some other property. First, it asks respondents if they’ve heard of the performer or show. If a respondent has heard of the relevant entity, the survey asks if they would rate it poor, fair, good, very good, or one of their favorites.

From there, calculating the Q Score is just a quick bit of division. Divide the percentage of people who peg a performer or show as one of their favorites by the percentage of people who have heard of the entity in the first place, drop the decimal points, and you’ve got your Q Score.

For example, according to a 1992 New York Times story, Jaleel White – yep, Steve Urkel – was the day’s top dog when it came to Q Score, narrowly edging out incumbent champ Bill Cosby. While only 53 percent of all respondents were familiar with White, 26 percent of all respondents listed White as one of their favorite performers, which racked up a stout Q Score of 49.

What does the Q stand for?

This simple division is also what gives the score its name. The “Q” stands for “quotient.”

Why do networks and advertisers care so much about favorites?

For all the reasons you’d guess. The Q Scores website explains that consumers or viewers who are exposed to one of their favorite performers or personalities are more likely to be attentive, will have

higher

recall, and will retain a more positive image of the brand, product, or show in question.

Is there just one Q Score?

Not even close. Marketing Evaluations, Inc. maintains several different Q Score databases, including ones for personalities (both living and dead), sports personalities, characters and licensed properties, TV shows, and consumer brands. There’s also a Cartoon Q that polls a nationwide group of 1800 kids every six months. These databases can be further sorted by age, income level, and similar variables.

Who uses these numbers?

Advertisers and media execs pay big cash for access to the Q Score database.

Apparently

the numbers can really come in handy when it’s time to cast a new show or sign a new spokesperson.

Any oddball firsts on the list of Q Scores?

Definitely. In August 2000 IBM announced that its chess-playing supercomputer Deep Blue had become the first computer to earn a Q Score. Interestingly, Deep Blue was still on the national radar even three years after the computer’s highly publicized victory over chess Grandmaster Gary Kasparov. IBM’s press release announcing the score revealed that Deep Blue had earned a Q Score of 9, which put the computer in the same league as Larry King, Carmen Electra, Howard Stern, and Carson Daly. (Since we know you were wondering – that figure also put Deep Blue a tick ahead of Gilbert Gottfried and Count Chocula.)

Even better for IBM, Deep Blue’s score put the computer well ahead of the 6 rating earned by Oracle CEO Larry Ellison and Sun Microsystems co-found Scott McNealy.

Who else has a particularly high Q Score?

CNN’s coverage of Deep Blue’s pioneering Q Score in 2000 listed a few other people and characters with particularly high ratings. At the time, Albert Einstein boasted a stout 56, Mickey Mouse was good for a 44, and Elvis’ Q Score was a decidedly not-dead 33.

What’s the best way to crater your Q Score?

Ask LeBron James. After the basketball star announced he was leaving Cleveland for Miami in his televised “The Decision” special last summer, his Q Score plummeted from 24 to 14. The good news for LeBron is that his Q Score has recovered slightly; reports from last month indicated that his score had crept its way back up to 17.