What This Chart Shows
This chart plots your marketing channels into three groups—Magnitude-Constrained, Optimal, and Freq-Saturated. There are two views: by channel count (how many channels fall into each bucket) and by effective exposure (how much of your total "effective" audience exposure each bucket represents). A headline and recommended action tell you at a glance whether the portfolio is balanced or skewed toward magnitude limits or frequency saturation, so you can decide whether to expand audience, cap frequency, or hold course.
Key Questions This Chart Helps Answer
- Are we constrained by magnitude or by frequency across the portfolio?
- Where does most of our effective exposure sit: in magnitude-limited, optimal, or over-frequency channels?
- What should we do next at a portfolio level? (expand magnitude, reduce frequency, or maintain)
- Is the portfolio healthy (balanced) or skewed (magnitude- or frequency-dominated)?
Axes, Metrics, and Units
Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Left donut panel | By Channel Count. Segments = number of levers in each category. |
| Right donut panel | By Effective Exposure Segments = sum of effective exposure (magnitude × saturated frequency) per category. |
| Colors | Green = Magnitude-Constrained Blue = Optimal Red = Freq-Saturated |
| Headline | Top of chart: "Magnitude & Frequency Portfolio Diagnostic: [HEADLINE]" — HEADLINE is either "FREQUENCY-SATURATED," "MAGNITUDE-CONSTRAINED," or "BALANCED PORTFOLIO" depending on which state has the most channels. |
| Recommended action | One line below the donuts: expand magnitude, reduce frequency, or maintain strategy. |
| Summary line | "Total: N channels analyzed" below the action. |
All metrics are modeled. They are not raw counts from your CRM.
Control Options Reference
Control | Meaning |
|---|---|
| KPI classification / hierarchy | Used to select which R&F block to use when the pipeline has per-target R&F data. This chart does not show an outcome/KPI group dropdown. |
| Event categories | Filter by specific event categories (include/exclude). |
| Funnel stages | Filter by specific funnel stages (include/exclude). |
There is no grouping mode (e.g. by channel or campaign); the chart always shows one portfolio-level diagnostic for the filtered set of levers.
How to Interpret the Results
- Magnitude-Constrained (green): Frequency is at or above the optimal range, but magnitude is limited—you are not yet reaching as many people as the structure allows. Implication: focus on expanding audience (targeting, placements, CPM tolerance), not on more frequency.
- Optimal (blue): Magnitude and frequency are in a good balance. Implication: maintain current strategy; no strong signal to expand magnitude or cut frequency.
- Freq-Saturated (red): Frequency is above the optimal range; extra impressions add little. Implication: cap frequency, reduce spend on those levers, or shift budget into magnitude expansion.
- Headline "MAGNITUDE-CONSTRAINED": Most channels are in the green bucket → portfolio is magnitude-limited; recommended action is to expand audience / increase CPM tolerance.
- Headline "FREQUENCY-SATURATED": Most channels are in the red bucket → portfolio is over-frequency; recommended action is to reduce frequency caps and expand magnitude.
- Headline "BALANCED PORTFOLIO": Neither magnitude nor frequency clearly dominates → maintain current magnitude and frequency strategy.
- Left vs right donut: If "By Channel Count" and "By Effective Exposure" tell different stories (e.g. few channels but lots of exposure in one bucket), the heaviest exposure may be concentrated in a small set of channels—drill into those in other charts.
Practical Applications for Marketers
Application | How to use this chart |
|---|---|
| Executive reporting | One-slide M&F health: headline + recommended action + two donuts. |
| Portfolio prioritization | If frequency-saturated dominates → prioritize frequency caps and magnitude expansion; if magnitude-constrained → prioritize audience expansion and CPM. |
| Strategy direction | Use the recommended action to align teams (e.g. "reduce frequency caps, expand magnitude"). |
| Filter sensitivity | Change event category or funnel stage and see how the diagnostic shifts (e.g. one segment is mostly saturated). |
| With other M&F charts | Use this for the summary; use Optimal Frequency for per-channel targets and Magnitude vs Frequency Attribution for attribution split. |
Common Mistakes & Misinterpretations
Mistake | Why it is a problem | How to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Ignoring the exposure donut | Count alone can be misleading (e.g. one big channel is saturated but many small ones are optimal). | Always look at both donuts; exposure shows where impact is concentrated. |
| Treating the action as the only lever | The recommendation is portfolio-level; some channels may need the opposite (e.g. one magnitude-constrained channel when the headline is freq-saturated). | Use this for direction; use Optimal Frequency and lever-level charts for specifics. |
| Comparing after changing filters | Which levers are included depends on event category and funnel stage. | Compare only under the same filters, or note that filters changed. |
| Confusing "magnitude" with spend | Magnitude here = reach/scale constraint (need more audience), not budget size. | Interpret as "constrained by reach/audience size" vs "saturated on frequency." |
| Expecting per-channel detail | This chart is aggregate only; it does not list which channels are in which bucket. | Use for summary; use Optimal Frequency or R&F diagnostics for channel-level detail. |
Caveats & Considerations
- Filter-empty: If event category or funnel stage leave no levers, the chart shows the standard filter-empty state.
- Headline rule: The headline is chosen by which state has the most channels (count), not by exposure. So the recommended action is count-based; exposure donut can still show a different mix.
- No outcome/KPI group selector: R&F data is not grouped by outcome; the KPI group dropdown is not shown. KPI classification/hierarchy can still drive which R&F block is used when the pipeline provides per-target blocks.
- Executive summary: This chart is intended as a high-level diagnostic, not a replacement for lever-level optimization. Use with Optimal Frequency, Frequency Saturation, and Magnitude vs Frequency Attribution for full planning.