When to swap creative — by medium, by quality of impression
Internal · CMG v1.0 · Rule-of-thumb tool
Operating Principle
Broadcast at 1,000 GRPs or 10x average frequency is the swap threshold. Every other medium gets normalized to that benchmark using a quality multiplier. When the index reaches 1.0, the creative has done its job.
Inputs01
—
Average impressions delivered per person in your target universe.
Gross rating points to date. (100 GRPs = 1x reach of full universe.)
Quality multiplier1.00x
Swap threshold (raw freq)10.0x
Anchor1,000 GRP / 10x avg freq
Quality is set by medium. Override only if you have flight-specific data (e.g. unusually high VCR).
Verdict02
Saturation Index
0.00
FRESH
Keep running.
Creative still has runway. Check back when you're 60–70% of the way to threshold.
The Math
Raw average frequency6.0x
Quality multiplier× 1.00
TV-equivalent frequency6.0x
÷ Swap threshold (10x)= 0.60 index
Quick Reference: Swap thresholds by medium
All values normalized to broadcast 1,000 GRP standard
Medium
Quality Multiplier
Swap at (avg freq)
Caution at (0.7 index)
Still fresh (below)
How to use this tool
Pick the medium closest to your flight. If you're running a mixed buy, calculate each medium separately and judge by the worst-saturated unit.
Index 1.0 = swap recommended. Index 0.7+ = start producing the next creative. Below 0.4 = still fresh.
This is a rule of thumb, not a law. Strong creative with novel hooks (humor, attack, surprise) can run hotter than threshold; soft persuasion creative wears out faster. When in doubt, wear-out testing in tracking polls beats the model.
Refresh ≠ reinvent. Often the right move is a new cut of the same creative — different opening, new B-roll, A/B'd CTA — not a full reshoot.
If you're seeing CTR or VCR decay before hitting threshold, swap early. Decay in performance metrics is a leading indicator the model can't see.