METHODS AND APPARATUS TO ALIGN PANELIST DATA WITH RETAILER SALES DATA

1 . A method to align market data sources, comprising:

calculating a panelist reporting period for a panelist dataset having a first number of occasions, the panelist dataset having a household resolution;

applying trip weights to a retailer dataset, the retailer dataset including a second number of occasions during a market research reporting period, the retailer dataset having a trip resolution; and

minimizing a gap between the household resolution and the trip resolution.

2 . A method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising identifying a compliance metric for panelist households within the panelist dataset during the market research reporting period.

3 . A method as defined in claim 2 , further comprising weighting ones of the panelist households based on a number of compliant sub-durations of the market research reporting period.

4 . A method as defined in claim 3 , further comprising a household weighting factor to calculate weighting of the one of the panelist households.

5 . A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first number of occasions is lower than the second number of occasions due to panelist reporting compliance metrics.

6 . A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein calculating the panelist reporting period further comprises generating period-weighted consumer facts.

7 . A method as defined in claim 6 , wherein applying trip weights to the retailer dataset further comprises generating trip-calibrated facts.

8 . A method as defined in claim 7 , further comprising applying a negative binomial distribution to minimize the gap between the household resolution and the trip resolution.

9 . An apparatus to align market data sources, comprising:

a period weighting engine to calculate a panelist reporting period for a panelist dataset having a first number of occasions, the panelist dataset having a household resolution;

a trip calibration engine to apply trip weights to a retailer dataset, the retailer dataset including a second number of occasions during a market research reporting period, the retailer dataset having a trip resolution; and

an alignment engine to minimize a gap between the household resolution and the trip resolution.

10 . An apparatus as defined in claim 9 , further comprising a period counter to identify a compliance metric for panelist households within the panelist dataset during the market research reporting period.

11 . An apparatus as defined in claim 10 , further comprising an average household factor computation engine to weight ones of the panelist households based on a number of compliant sub-durations of the market research reporting period.

12 . An apparatus as defined in claim 11 , wherein the average household factor computation engine is to calculate weighting of the one of the panelist households.

13 . An apparatus as defined in claim 9 , further comprising a period weighting engine to generate period-weighted consumer facts.

14 . An apparatus as defined in claim 13 , wherein the period weighting engine comprises a negative binomial distribution engine.

15 . A tangible machine readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to, at least:

calculate a panelist reporting period for a panelist dataset having a first number of occasions, the panelist dataset having a household resolution;

apply trip weights to a retailer dataset, the retailer dataset including a second number of occasions during a market research reporting period, the retailer dataset having a trip resolution; and

minimize a gap between the household resolution and the trip resolution.

16 . A machine readable storage medium as defined in claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to identify a compliance metric for panelist households within the panelist dataset during the market research reporting period.

17 . A machine readable storage medium as defined in claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to weight ones of the panelist households based on a number of compliant sub-durations of the market research reporting period.

18 . A machine readable storage medium as defined in claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to calculate weighting of the one of the panelist households with a household weighting factor.

19 . A machine readable storage medium as defined in claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to generate period-weighted consumer facts.

20 . A machine readable storage medium as defined in claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to generate trip-calibrated facts when applying trip weights to the retailer dataset.