METHODOLOGY
International buyers often assess a supplier before first contact: in search results, AI answers, the website, company profiles and records. Brand Intelligence examines these surfaces and reports its findings with their sources.
How clearly, accessibly and verifiably a company's real operational strength is represented on the surfaces an international buyer checks.
The Brand Intelligence application of the shared R3TURN Export Intelligence Methodology v4.1 framework
DIGITAL REFLECTION GAP
Digital Reflection Gap (DRG) is the difference between a company's real strength and how that strength can be read from the outside.
Capacity, certifications, references and operational depth may all exist, yet appear incomplete, unclear or unverifiable on the surfaces a buyer checks. The review shows, with sources, where that gap appears, or where it does not.
DRG is not a score; it is the name of this difference.
WHAT WE EXAMINE
QUESTIONWhat do we examine?
The five domains are the surfaces a buyer navigates directly when searching for a supplier. The +1 domain checks whether what is said is supported by independent trade records.
Whether the company appears in organic results when a buyer searches by category, product or company name, and how it is described there.
How AI assistants and answer engines describe the company, which category they place it in and which sources they rely on.
Alongside this domain, we examine confusion, misclassification and unsupported company claims in AI descriptions. The deviation between verified information and the AI description is shown in the report.
Schematic: verified information (top) and the AI description (bottom).
How clearly, accessibly and verifiably the company's own website presents its capabilities, for both human and machine readers.
Company-level public profiles, in particular the LinkedIn Company Page: whether it exists, is current and matches the website.
Personal LinkedIn profiles of founders or employees are not reviewed.
Company records on B2B platforms, industry directories and supplier lists, and whether they are accurate and consistent with each other.
+1 · TRADE VERIFICATION DOMAIN
Trade and corporate records a buyer can consult to verify a supplier, and whether what is said on other surfaces is supported by independent records.
Records such as an LEI are assessed in the context where they are relevant; their absence is not automatically treated as a shortcoming for every company.
HOW WE ASSESS
QUESTIONFrom which perspective do we read?
The collected signal set is interpreted in parallel from three perspectives. Looking strong in one does not guarantee being readable in another.
Is it clear at first review what the company offers, whom it serves, and with what competence?
Can search systems and AI engines describe the company correctly and place it in the right category?
Does what the company says about itself match records and sources independent of it?
The three perspectives look at the same signal set together; they are not stages that wait for each other, and they do not produce separate scores.
QUESTIONHow is the score built?
Readiness that helps AI systems read the company is assessed together with measurable answer visibility.
The technical groundwork that lets search systems crawl the website and interpret it correctly.
Language, contact paths and B2B evidence that help an international buyer understand and engage with the company.
Brand signals that support the company's public presence, trust and reputation.
Digital Export Score (DES) is calculated by rules from four dimensions. Repeating the calculation with the same evidence set and the same method version gives the same result.
We do not treat an area that could not be measured as a failure. The report states clearly what could be examined; if there is not enough measurement, we do not publish an overall DES.
In the report the two sit together: findings from the 5+1 domains are presented with the four DES dimensions, evidence, gaps and prioritised actions. A numeric score gives a summary; evidence-based interpretation explains the reason behind it and what can be done.
EVIDENCE
Scans and compares sources and prepares material for interpretation; it does not decide on its own.
DES is calculated by defined rules for the same evidence set and method version.
Findings that enter the report are reviewed by people; anything that cannot be verified is stated as such.
Publishing a critical P0 finding as verified requires at least two independent sources supporting the same claim.
Example of independent corroboration
“The company is ISO 9001 certified.”
The same self-declaration appearing at two addresses is not enough. Claims that cannot be verified are marked as such in the report.
REPORT
Evidence and source trail
Missing or conflicting representation
Hidden Strength review
DES explanation
Prioritised actions · P0–P3
P0P1P2P3Each finding shows which source it rests on, so you can trace where a claim comes from.
Where something that exists appears incomplete, unclear or self-contradictory from the outside.
The four DES dimensions and the measurement scope are explained; actions are ordered by priority from P0 to P3.
The buyer readability review and report. The methodology described on this page is applied here.
Explore Brand IntelligenceAn independent entry product that answers a different commercial question; Brand Intelligence is not a prerequisite.
Explore Growth EngineFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
You see, with sources, how your company appears on the surfaces buyers check: what reads well, what is missing or conflicting, the Hidden Strength review and the P0–P3 order of actions.
No. The review sets out the current state and priorities with evidence; it does not guarantee rankings, traffic, leads, sales or AI visibility.
A domain that could not be measured is not counted as a failure. The report states clearly what could be examined; if there is not enough measurement, no overall DES is published.
No. The public profile review is at company level; on LinkedIn, the Company Page is reviewed.
No. Growth Engine is an independent entry product that answers a different commercial question.
SCOPE AND SOURCE NOTE
No guarantee of rankings, traffic, leads, sales or AI visibility is given.
Search visibility is only one of six domains; this is not an SEO or advertising service.
We do not treat a company claim in an AI answer as independent verification.
Anything that cannot be verified is stated clearly in the report.
Profile review is at company level; personal profiles are not reviewed.
Domains that could not be measured are not counted as failures; the scope is stated in the report.
Within the R3TURN Export Intelligence Methodology v4.1 framework, Brand Intelligence examines how a company's real strength reads on the surfaces buyers check. The review covers 5+1 audit domains; findings are interpreted from the human buyer, machine and trust signal perspectives.
The difference between real strength and how it can be read from the outside is called the Digital Reflection Gap (DRG). The report includes the source trail, missing or conflicting representation, the Hidden Strength review, an explanation of the four-dimension Digital Export Score and P0–P3 prioritised actions.
R3TURN Export Intelligence Methodology v4.1 · r3turn.io/en/methodology
Related concept: Herhausen et al. (2020), The digital marketing capabilities gap. This note points to an adjacent concept; it does not imply academic endorsement.