Roku ($ROKU) stock is just about breakeven in 2020, which puts the digital media company out in front of plenty of other companies in the market - but a slew of competitors have lined up to challenge it, and industry leader Netflix. For Roku, for now at least, it isn't generating the same buzz as flashier, newer, well-branded media launches, and relaunches - but it is maintaining consumers' attention, based on key data points.
First, we can gauge Roku's Facebook follower count (not shown) and its Talking About Count - or how many mentions it is earning on the social network - tracked in the chart above. There are some brands that are getting lots more love in the shutdown - but it doesn't look as if Roku is one of them.
The bad news, as clearly shown above, is that Roku - like so many other companies, regardless of sector - has slashed job postings by nearly 60% as it recalibrates for a new future in the post-Coronavirus economy. The upside - if there is one to be identified - is that Roku, like a handful of other companies charting out their rebound strategy, has already begun to add more job postings to its website.
Our final two charts - above, the Apple Store Ratings Count for Roku, and below, the same, but for Google's app store - depict engagement that isn't just rising for Roku, but, barely evident in the final chart, accelerating reviews for its product in the Google Play Store. In other words, as the pandemic persists, the number of consumer engagements with Roku's app appears to be growing.
And with a rating higher than 4.5-out-of-5 in the Google Play store, it looks as if consumers are pretty happy too. Maybe Roku would like them to chatter about it more online, but if the pandemic helps the streaming video service to a beat when it reports earnings after the bell on May 7, it would go a long way to help position it as a winner as the market recovers.
About the Data:
Thinknum tracks companies using the information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales, and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue, and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales.
Further Reading:
- Slowing job postings and social attention don't look good for Beyond Meat
- Lyft cuts and data signal a stall before earnings
- The Shack is BACK - Shake Shack hiring returns as states plot reopening
