I&A surveys are a great way for businesses to gather data and insights on how to improve their brand strategy.
The survey data will reveal how the public views the brand, what kind of associations they have with it, and much more. Using this information, brands will not only improve their public perception, but their brand equity as well.
In this post, we'll dive into the details of I&A surveys, their benefits, and a list of commonly included questions.
What Is an I&A Survey?
I&A surveys are designed to obtain both awareness levels and brand equity for specific brands, organization names, products or services.
An I&A survey is typically conducted with a random sample of respondents, since the main goal is to assess awareness levels among target markets.
Often, I&A survey questions will cover topics around branding such as:
- Associations
- Emotions
- Familiarity
With the data from these targeted groups, businesses will have a deeper understanding of their overall brand reputation among specific groups.
This will guide them in making more informed branding decisions, highlighting key strengths/weaknesses.
Additionally, this feedback will give brands a deeper knowledge of their market position.
Benefits of Measuring Image & Awareness
Here's what it comes down to: there's no reason a business shouldn't conduct I&A surveys.
With the amount of benefits they provide, brands stand to gain a significantly better understanding of their functions. On top of that, I&A surveys allow brands to make impactful, data-driven decisions.
Below, we'll dive a bit deeper into the top benefits of I&A surveys.
Understanding Overall Brand Health
Conducting I&A surveys provides insight into the current standing a brand has in its specific industry.
Since these surveys measure metrics like consumer perception, levels of brand recognition, and reputation, it's easy to determine the level of brand health from the data.
Once a brand has a clear understanding of these points, it can make changes to the current systems in place. On the flip side, survey data will also reveal what a brand is doing well, so a brand can continue with those practices.
Target Marketing Strategies
Brands can gain a deeper understanding of their target audience via I&A surveys.
This allows them to develop relevant marketing strategies based on the needs of this specific audience. Through analyzing both demographic data and consumer preferences, brands can pinpoint exactly which market segments are familiar with their business.
In doing so, this helps brands personalize their messaging (which has a huge impact on business). A personalized marketing strategy creates a more tailored experience for consumers, which can increase business.
PS: Research has shown that 80% of consumers who shop from a brand regularly place great emphasis on the tailored experience they offer.
Competitive Analysis
Keeping an eye on the competition will always benefit a brand.
I&A surveys help brands achieve this by delivering insights about rival brands in the industry. They will reveal data that shows where competitors are excelling, and where they could improve.
Brands can capitalize on this data by creating strategies/offering that competitors do not yet have.
Additionally, competitor data can also help improve marketing outreach and even product development.
Recommended Reading: Conducting a Competitor Analysis in 2024: Why It’s Needed
Strategic Decision-Making
Using the data obtained from I&A surveys, brands can make strategic business decisions based on fact (instead of guessing).
For instance, businesses can use the feedback to enhance branding strategies, customer outreach, and long-term goal setting. Since these decisions eliminate the guessing game of what will work or not, they save a significant amount of time and can streamline their efforts into a solid plan.
How Is Image and Awareness Addressed In a Survey?
I&A surveys address both of these topics in specific ways, based on the needs of the brand. However, the way image and awareness is approached follows a straightforward process.
Keep reading to learn how our third-party research firm covers both image and awareness in these surveys.
Image
There are several ways to gather information on brand image.
The first option is using a perception metric.
In this case, respondents will be asked to rate the brand on a positive to negative scale. This metric provides data on overall brand sentiment, offering a clear view of the public's perception.
Another common option is using a 0 to 10 scale or 1 to 5 scale ranging from "very poor" to "very positive." Here, the respondent is asked to rate the brand's reputation.
This metric is ideal for tracking over time, to measure changes or trends in perception.
Awareness (Aided vs. Unaided)
Initially, unaided awareness is addressed by obtaining a list of brands the respondent remembers.
Respondents will be asked questions such as, "when you think of automobile manufacturers, which one(s) come to mind?"
After unaided awareness, aided awareness is addressed.
In this case, the survey asks, "which of the following automobile manufacturers are you aware of?" The respondent will be given a list of top manufacturers to choose from.
Typically, the list only shows those choices not mentioned in the unaided awareness question. This can be accomplished through branching and logic or CATI if the survey is completed by phone.
Adding the two figures together will provide your organization with a total awareness percentage. If 10% are aware of your brand unaided and another 35% are aware of it aided, your total awareness stands at 45% of the market.
Recommended Reading: What is Unaided and Aided Awareness in Market Research?
Example I&A Survey Question
Lastly, we've included a list of questions found in I&A surveys.
- How familiar are you with our brand?
- How would you describe your overall impression of our brand?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our brand to a friend or colleague?
- What three words would you use to describe our brand?
- How would you rate our brand’s reputation compared to our competitors?
- How trustworthy do you find our brand?
- How well do you think our brand delivers on its promises?
- What thoughts come to mind when you think of our brand?
- How well do you feel our brand understands your needs?
- How likely are you to consider our brand for your next purchase?
- How would you rate the quality of our products/services?
- Which of the following attributes do you associate with our brand? (e.g., innovative, reliable, high-quality, affordable)
- How does our brand make you feel?
- What aspects of our brand do you like the most?
- What do you think could be improved about our brand?
Contact Our Online Survey Company
Conducting I&A surveys provides businesses with actionable insights around public perception and methods to improve their outreach strategies. With years of combined experience, our team of market research pros will partner with your brand to craft an I&A survey unique to your brand.
Interested in learning more about our market research services? Get in touch with us today!
- Message us on our website
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- Call us at 888-725-DATA
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George Kuhn
George is the Owner & President of Drive Research. He has consulted for hundreds of regional, national, and global organizations over the past 15 years. He is a CX-certified VoC professional with a focus on innovation and new product management.
Learn more about George, here.
