TURF Analysis, an acronym for "Total Unduplicated Reach and Frequency", is a type of statistical analysis used for providing estimates of media or market potential and devising optimal communication and placement strategies given limited resources.
Although originally used by media schedulers to maximize reach and frequency of media spending across different items (print, broadcast, etc.), T.U.R.F. is now used to determine what drivers motivate consumers to purchase a certain product. This in turn can help companies determine which products and/or services to offer, and just as importantly, which not to offer.
In a research context, TURF analysis provides estimates of market potential. TURF analysis identifies the number of users reached by a communication, and how often they are reached. It can also be used to study their frequency of use of a particular product configured in a certain way.
For example, if a company plans to market a new yogurt, they may consider launching ten possible flavors, but in reality, only three might be purchased in large quantities. The TURF algorithm identifies the optimal product line to maximize the total number of consumers who will purchase at least one SKU and, at the same time, minimize consumer overlap across the flavors.
TURF analysis provides marketing managers with the following information: