Cohort benchmarking
Cohort benchmarking compares a brand against a peer group selected for category, size, and geography rather than against a global average. A European mid-cap beauty brand benchmarks against other European mid-cap beauty brands, not against a global average that includes Procter and Gamble and a single-storefront indie skincare brand. Sentia rebuilds cohorts every quarter in 2026 so the benchmark tracks live market shape, not last year's shape.
What it is
A cohort is a group of brands selected by structural similarity. The simplest cohort key is category plus size band plus primary geography. Tighter cohorts add positioning, audience age, or owned-channel mix. Looser cohorts add adjacent categories.
The benchmark itself is usually a percentile distribution across the cohort: median, p25, p75, and sometimes p10 and p90. Reporting the full distribution is more honest than reporting a single average.
Why it matters
Industry averages produced by trade publications mix tier-1 global brands with one-store indie brands. The result is a number that flatters small brands and crushes large ones. Cohort benchmarks correct that. If the cohort says the median brand at your size in your category in your region runs at 3.4% Instagram engagement, that is the number to beat.
How Sentia uses it
Sentia builds cohorts at quarterly cadence and reports p25/median/p75 bands on every benchmarked metric. The cohort logic feeds the calibration layer that drives the calibrated impact scores. It also powers the public benchmarks at /benchmarks/[industry]/[platform] once those datasets ship in Q3 2026.
Related concepts
Related Reading
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