Brand perception is an important tool to measure the thoughts and feelings associated with a company.
But how can you measure it and what should you do about any negative perceptions?
- 77% of B2C consumers make purchasing decisions based solely on the brand name. (Source: G2C)
People’s perceptions of a brand can impact why people wear a particular brand of clothing or will only buy a certain brand of food when they go grocery shopping. Once an attitude about a brand has been formed, it’s tough to change, which is why you must stay attuned to public perception about your brand.
Better yet, you should be working hard to preempt any negativity by working hard to create positive associations with your brand in people’s minds.
What is Brand Perception?
When you know how people perceive your brand it’s easier to shape your own reputation. Brand perception is a mental association, but it plays an essential role in creating emotional connections with consumers.
It is the resulting thoughts and feelings a person has about your brand based on their personal experiences, interactions and thoughts about your product/service. It’s what they believe your brand represents - rather than what you say it represents.
A person’s perception of a brand is strengthened - one way or another - by reading reviews, engaging with customer support, reading your website, signing up for trials or downloading content. All of these touchpoints with your business can form a lasting perception.
- When a customer is loyal to a brand, 86% will recommend it to friends or family and 66% are likely to write a positive review. (Source: KPMG)
How to Measure Brand Perception
Brand perception is best measured by compiling metric-heavy data from numerous sources, including:
- Brand perception surveys - Learn what people think of your business and how it compares to competitors.
- Engage in social listening - Track online mentions using social listening tools and Google Alerts, monitoring comments, reviews and relevant hashtags too.
- Complete a brand audit - Conduct research on audiences, competitively analyse your products and services and evaluate your communications strategy.
- Ask your customers’ opinions - Using the buyer’s journey as a basis, what do customers think of your brand compared to others? How did they research your business? What made them choose you, how did each touchpoint with your business make them feel?
