Signal over opinion
Every evaluation dimension in RBSI is answerable from observable, time-stamped signals. Qualitative judgement is never excluded — it is anchored to something observable.
The signal taxonomy
Signals are the raw material of brand intelligence — typed, observable market events carrying information about a brand's commercial state or trajectory.
| Code | Category | Core question |
|---|---|---|
| SC-01 | Physical & Retail Presence | Where is the brand physically present, and how fast is it expanding? |
| SC-02 | Financial, Funding & Corporate | What is the brand's financial health and ownership trajectory? |
| SC-03 | Hiring & Organisational | What does hiring reveal about future strategy? |
| SC-04 | Digital & Online Presence | What does the digital footprint reveal about commercial health and intent? |
| SC-05 | Physical Retail Strategy & Activation | How is the brand approaching physical retail expansion? |
| SC-06 | Consumer Culture & Demand | What do consumers aspire to and demand? |
| SC-07 | Consumer Verdict & Brand Equity | What do consumers think the brand is worth? |
| SC-08 | Press, PR & Earned Media | What narrative surrounds the brand? |
| SC-09 | Legal, Compliance & Regulatory | What is the brand's legal standing and market readiness? |
| SC-10 | Supply Chain & Wholesale | How does the brand operationally enter and supply markets? |
| SC-11 | Innovation & Forward Trajectory | Where is the brand strategically heading? |
| SC-12 | Cultural Relevance & Seasonality | How aligned is the brand with local culture and timing? |
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The signal event model
The confidence envelope
Every output — and every underlying reading that feeds it — carries a confidence envelope: confidence score, evidence count, source reliability, freshness index, and volatility flag. A reading at 91% confidence is a fundamentally different signal from the same reading at 54% confidence.
What the framework does not do
Leasing systems that consume RBSI outputs apply their own site-fit logic on top — footfall counts, void analysis, lease economics. The framework evaluates brands; site decisions are downstream.
RBSI outputs are relative index readings, not a DCF model, a transaction multiple, or an audited valuation. They inform valuation thinking — they do not replace it.
It reads signals of consumer activity and translates them into intelligence about equity and demand. It does not model individual purchase decisions.
It structures and evidences analytical judgement. The framework does not produce conclusions on its own.
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