What are reputation and brand equity studies?
Reputation and brand equity studies encompass thorough evaluations of brand perception, reputation and equity. Such assessments inform strategic decision making and enhance brand value, credibility and market competitiveness through actionable insights. They touch on a number of areas including:
- Brand perception surveys: Conducting surveys to assess consumer perceptions of the brand’s attributes, strengths, weaknesses and overall image.
- Reputation analysis: Evaluating the organisation’s reputation across various stakeholders, including customers, employees, investors and the public, to identify areas for improvement and strategic positioning.
- Customer loyalty and satisfaction studies: Evaluating customer loyalty and satisfaction levels to gauge brand health and customer retention strategies.
- Competitor benchmarking: Comparing the brand’s reputation and equity with that of competitors to identify relative strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for differentiation.
Some of the main benefits of reputation and brand equity studies are:
Gain competitive advantage through differentiation and positioning insights
Identify strengths and weaknesses for strategic brand improvement
Inform reputational risk mitigation and crisis preparedness strategies
Enhance brand perception and credibility among target audiences
Optimise customer loyalty and trust, leading to increased market share
Key questions that are answered by reputation and brand equity studies
Reputation and brand equity studies aim to answer a number of important questions to aid decisions:
- How is the brand perceived by different stakeholders: customers, employees and investors?
- What are the key drivers influencing brand perception and equity?
- How does the brand’s reputation compare to competitors in the market?
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the brand’s current positioning and messaging?
- Are there any emerging reputation risks or opportunities that need to be addressed?
In On Africa’s reputation and brand equity research services
Understanding the performance of our client’s brand and reputation in the public eye, as well as their current and potential clients, is a cornerstone of effective business strategy. In On Africa (IOA) has extensive experience assisting diverse brands to gauge their market performance effectively.
Our journey in brand-focused research and analytics began in 2013 when IOA was appointed as the exclusive research partner for one of Africa’s leading brand strategy agencies. Since then, our team has spearheaded numerous reputation and brand equity studies across a variety of sectors in different African markets. Some notable projects include a market perception study for a prominent real estate brand in Southern Africa, a reputation analysis for a private educational provider in East Africa and a brand equity assessment for a bank in West Africa.
Our skilled analysts collaborate closely with clients to dissect the intricacies of their brand perception, steering marketing, rebranding, product development and market expansion strategies. This effort is bolstered by our expansive network of on-the-ground consultants and partners who contribute essential insights into the specific nuances of each market.
Reputation and brand equity studies are linked to other consumer-focused research services that we provide to our clients. This is particularly for those who require an ongoing view of consumer perspectives, behaviours and attitudes (see consumer segment trackers) or CX research to better understand the customer experience. We also work closely with clients in monitoring the broader social sentiment towards their brand and competitor brands (see media monitoring & social listening).
Reputation and brand equity project case study:
Brand equity study to inform rebranding of the company and their subsidiaries
Client:
Multinational financial services company
Country:
Botswana, Namibia and Zambia
Methodology:
Primary research across the three countries involving telephonic interviews, face-to-face interviews and online surveys (+1,100 respondents all together)
IOA was contracted as the research partner for a large multi-country financial services firm to assess the current reputation and perception of their six banking, insurance and investment brands in Southern Africa. The research involved interviews (telephonic and face-to-face) and online surveys with clients and non-clients, including corporate, high-income, middle income and low-income customers.
The study focused on a number of key brand-related questions, such as around the brand’s key promise to their customers, products and services, channels through which the brand interacts with their clients (and non-clients), comparisons between the brand and their competitors, respondents’ insights on reasons for selecting their current financial service provider and respondent’s insights on how the brand could improve in the future.
Key project outcome:
The research guided our client on their public perception of their current brand, values, channels and products and services. The report IOA compiled also provided respondent perceptions on how the brand could be improved. This data ultimately informed strategy planning for the rebranding of the group and some of their business units.
Find out more about how IOA can help you assess your reputation and brand equity.
Read more about IOA’s various service offerings and examples of our past work.