ABSTRACT
Cumulative measures are routinely used for audience analysis. These metrics are distinguished from gross measures because they depend on tracking individual media users over some period of time. Historically, gross measures would summarize use over a week or a month. But with the increased use of meters and server-centric measurement, it is common to see time periods as brief as a session on the Web. As those time periods shrink and the number of cumulative measures grow, it can be difficult know whether a particular measure is technically gross or cumulative. As a rule, if it reflects knowledge of repeat customers or it reports characteristics of average users, chances are it is a cumulative measure.
