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How to Run Better Brand Recall Surveys: Methodologies and Questions to Ask

Tim Lawton • 16 Aug 2024

rand recall is a crucial metric for evaluating the effectiveness of marketing efforts and the strength of a brand's presence in consumers' minds. It reflects a consumer's ability to recognize and remember a brand and also plays a significant role in driving purchasing decisions and fostering brand loyalty.

Conducting brand recall surveys allows you to take a strategic approach to understanding and enhancing this critical aspect of brand performance.

Today, we'll review the methodologies for running effective brand recall surveys, the essential questions to ask, and strategies to help boost brand recall.

 

What is Brand Recall?

Brand recall is the extent to which consumers can remember a brand when prompted with a product category, need, or situation. It is a key indicator of brand awareness and memorability, reflecting how well a brand is ingrained in the consumer's mind.

High brand recall implies that consumers can easily bring the brand to mind without much effort, which is a testament to the effectiveness of the brand's marketing and communication strategies.

Typically, brand recall falls into two categories:

bullet point green checkmarkUnaided Recall: This measures a consumer's ability to remember a brand without prompts. For example, a consumer could be asked to name a brand of soda they can think of without providing any brand names.
bullet point green checkmarkAided Recall: This measures a consumer's ability to recognize a brand when given a prompt or a list of brand names. For example, a consumer might be asked to identify soda brands from a provided list.

 

 

How to Measure Brand Recall

Measuring brand recall involves using surveys to gather data on how well consumers remember and recognize your brand. The two primary methods are unaided and aided recall:

 

Aided Recall

Aided recall surveys provide respondents with a list of brands or visual cues and asks them to identify those they recognize. This method is useful for assessing brand recognition and awareness in a competitive context. Example questions include:

bullet point green checkmark"From the list below, which brand sells [product]?"
bullet point green checkmark"Which of the following brands have you seen or heard about in the past month?"

 

Unaided Recall

Unaided recall surveys challenge respondents to recall a brand without any prompts. This method provides insights into the strength of spontaneous brand awareness and top-of-mind recall. Example questions include:

bullet point green checkmark"Considering [category], what is the first brand that comes to mind?"
bullet point green checkmark"Name a brand you associate with [product or service]."

 

By combining both aided and unaided recall methods, you can better understand your brand's memorability and visibility in the market.

 

Questions to Ask in a Brand Recall Survey

Crafting effective questions for a brand recall survey is crucial to obtaining valuable insights. Here are some key questions to consider:

1. From the list below, which brand sells [product]? (aided recall) This question helps measure brand recognition and recall within a competitive set. It indicates how well your brand stands out when consumers are prompted with multiple options.

2. Considering [category], what is the first brand that comes to mind? (unaided recall) This question assesses spontaneous brand recall and identifies the top-of-mind brands within a specific category. It provides insights into which brands are most memorable without any external cues.

3. In the last [X-timeframe], which of these brands have you purchased from? This question links brand recall to actual purchasing behavior, helping you understand the correlation between brand awareness and consumer actions. It also highlights the brands that are top-of-mind during the purchasing decision process.

4. Thinking about [category], which of these brands might you purchase from within the next [X] months? This question evaluates future purchase intentions and indicates which brands are likely to be considered in upcoming buying decisions. It provides insights into brand preference and potential future market share.

 

 

How to Boost Brand Recall

Improving brand recall requires strategic efforts across various marketing and brand management aspects. Here are some effective strategies:

 

Start with a Benchmark

Before implementing strategies to boost brand recall, it is essential to establish a benchmark. Conduct a brand recall survey to assess your target audience's current level of brand awareness and recall. This baseline data will help you measure the effectiveness of your efforts over time.

 

Keep Your Branding Consistent

Consistency in branding is key when building recall. Ensure your brand's visual identity, messaging, and tone are uniform across all marketing channels and touchpoints. Consistent branding reinforces brand recognition and makes it easier for consumers to remember your brand.

 

Create Emotional Ties Between Consumers and Your Brand

Emotional connections play a significant role in brand recall. Develop marketing campaigns that evoke emotions and resonate with your target audience. Storytelling, relatable content, and campaigns that tap into consumers' values and aspirations can create lasting impressions and strengthen brand recall.

 

Partner with Influencers

Influencer marketing can significantly enhance brand recall by leveraging the reach and credibility of influencers. Collaborate with influencers who align with your brand values and strongly connect with your target audience. Influencers can create authentic content that promotes your brand and increases its visibility.

 

Create Great Brand/Product Experiences

Memorable experiences leave a lasting impact on consumers. Focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences that go beyond product features. Engaging events, personalized interactions, and outstanding customer service can make your brand stand out and enhance recall.

 

Keep Testing Brand Recall to See What Moves the Needle

Brand recall is not static; it evolves with changes in market conditions, consumer preferences, and marketing efforts. Regularly conduct brand recall surveys to track progress and identify what strategies are driving improvements. Use the insights to refine your marketing tactics and continuously optimize brand recall.

 

 

Conducting Brand Recall Surveys with SightX

Having the right tools and technologies is crucial if you want to collect relevant brand recall insights. By infusing the power of generative AI with advanced brand research tools, SightX makes collecting brand insights a breeze.

bullet point green checkmarkCreate fully customized brand recall surveys, studies, and experiments with a prompt.
bullet point green checkmarkCollect data from your target audience.
bullet point green checkmarkReceive fully analyzed and summarized results in seconds, revealing key brand insights and personalized recommendations.

Whether you need to measure brand recall or track other brand KPIs, SightX offers a comprehensive suite of features designed to streamline the brand insights process and deliver tangible results.

Let us show you how simple it can be to collect powerful brand insights.

 

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Meet the author

Tim Lawton

Tim Lawton

Tim is the co-founder of SightX and our expert in sales, M&A deals, and financing. Tim graduated from West Point and served as an active duty Army infantry officer. He received his MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and worked on Wall Street before diving into the world of research tech.

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