Marketers and branding professionals have an ongoing need to understand how people perceive their brand, products and services; what their attitudes and feelings towards them are, and how they are positioned in the context of a continually changing modern culture. These are known as brand insights, and consumer market research is the most essential tool in gaining a deep understanding of them.
We’ve talked previously about inconvenient truths, and one such example of these that plays out regularly is when the way brands are perceived by consumers differs to how marketing professionals believe it is perceived.
Consumer market research – including both qualitative and quantitative research – is the best way to identify and understand:
- How the target market perceives your brand, and what energies and signals it is emitting. This includes understanding whether or not people are clear on what your brand stands for and what the value proposition is
- Where investments should be made. For example, where is the equity and how can that be vested, and how should the products and services be developed.
- The range of products and services that the brand can support and that meet the needs of, and is highly valued by the target audience.
- How far the brand can stretch and into what territories or categories.
Ultimately, brands must transmit a clear sense of purpose and this must be fully supported and delivered by the organisation behind it. The brand must be relevant to the culture and environment in which it operates, and it must be differentiated from the surrounding competitive set.
Hear how forward-thinking brands are using brand insight
By conducting both qualitative and quantitative research, brand owners will be able to understand the needs, wants, values and beliefs of the target audience, and identify opportunities for the brand to serve emergent needs.
Research helps brand owners and marketers make well-informed, smart decisions that put the customer at the heart. It avoids the brand being driven solely by the business case and revenue models alone, and will help build future-focussed brand architecture models.
Click here to learn how qualitative research can deliver better insight and even better decisions.
To find out how research can help your brand innovate and grow get in touch