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Why do trends differ between the timeline and comparison views?

Understand the differences between Timeline and Comparison views.

Updated over 2 weeks ago

🧢 Coach T's Recap

Tracksuit’s Timeline and Comparison views offer distinct ways to explore your brand data. Use the Timeline view to track trends and patterns over time, and the Comparison view to monitor performance across fixed periods.

When it comes to brand building, storytelling is key - especially when measuring the impact of campaigns, understanding the competitive landscape, or reporting on progress. That’s why Tracksuit offers two powerful ways to explore your data over time: the Timeline view and the Comparison view.

Depending on what you’re trying to achieve, these views can serve a different purpose. Let’s unpack what each one shows, how to read them, and when to use them.


The Timeline view: track trends over time

The Timeline view allows you to monitor trends over time, using a 3-month rolling average for your brand, competitors, and category penetration. Each data point represents the average of the current month plus the two preceding months (e.g., April = Feb + Mar + Apr). Your 1st and 2nd months of tracking are the only exception to the rule. Using a 3-month rolling average provides a clearer picture of long-term trends without being affected by short-term fluctuations.

This trended view unlocks once you have a full 3 months of data.

The Timeline view helps you šŸ‘‡

  • Monitor changes in consumer behavior (make sure you've toggled on 'Category penetration' in the timeline display options)

  • Track trends in funnel metrics at a national view and with different demographic segments

  • Spot the impact of campaigns or seasonality on your brand data

  • Understand your brand’s trajectory alongside competitor performance

šŸ’” Tip


Use the Milestone feature to visually track how brand activities, distribution shifts, or macro events impact metrics over time.

For some dashboards, you’ll also find a Conversion Timeline page, where you can specifically track trended conversion metrics.


The Comparison view: compare period vs period

The Comparison view lets you compare brand metrics over specific time periods, providing a broader view of performance. Unlike the Timeline view, which shows data mostly on a 3-month rolling average, the Comparison view allows you to expand your date range, from 3 months to 6 months or even 12 months. This can give you a more reliable read, especially for smaller or underrepresented segments.
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The key benefit? It allows you to generate clean, comparable stats aligned with your business reporting cadence, whether quarterly, bi-annually, or yearly.

This page unlocks once you have a full 6 months of data and focuses solely on brand level data.

Use the Comparison view to šŸ‘‡

  • Compare performance across defined periods (e.g., Q1 vs Q2 or Q1 2025 vs Q1 2024)

  • Expand your date range for a more complete view, especially when you need to analyze small or specific segments

  • Easily align marketing and business reports with your preferred cadence (quarterly, bi-annually, or yearly)

The Conversion Comparison page is only available for brands with sufficient market presence to generate meaningful conversion insights.

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