Measuring the Success of Your Branding Efforts
Awareness and Salience Indicators
Track your paid and earned share of voice across key channels, then compare to your share of search for category terms. When share of search rises sustainably after voice increases, you are likely building mental availability.
Awareness and Salience Indicators
Rising branded search volume and higher-quality direct traffic often reflect successful brand activity. Segment by geography and campaign timing to connect efforts to movement. Watch engaged sessions, not just visits, to avoid vanity metrics.
Perception, Preference, and Brand Equity
Track the few attributes that correlate with buying: reliability, value, and uniqueness. Use driver analysis to reveal which shifts link to conversion. If an attribute moves without behavioral change, reexamine the message and channel mix.
Behavioral Signals and Commercial Impact
Create cohorts first exposed to brand channels, then compare conversion, average order value, and return rate against performance-focused cohorts. Expect slower immediate conversion but stronger long-term value, indicating durable brand influence.
Behavioral Signals and Commercial Impact
Branded inbound leads should move faster and win more often. Track time-to-close and competitor presence in final rounds. When story familiarity rises, friction falls. Share your latest win rate uplift to inspire others in the community.
Experiments and Incrementality
Run regional holdout tests for upper-funnel media. Compare branded search, consideration, and sales between test and control. Look for sustained post-campaign lift, not just spikes. Document learnings to guide media weight and creative frequency.
Experiments and Incrementality
MMM estimates channel contributions over time, capturing lagged and halo effects. Feed it clean spend, reach, and external variables. Use it with experiments, never alone. Align finance and marketing on the model before making big decisions.
Experiments and Incrementality
When randomization is tough, build a synthetic baseline from similar markets or segments. Compare outcomes after a rebrand or new platform launch. Predefine success thresholds and guardrails to avoid confirmation bias and narrative overreach.
Build Your Brand Measurement System
Include awareness, perception, and behavior: share of search, unaided recall, attribute drivers, branded conversion rate, CLV to CAC, and pricing power tests. Add qualitative notes so numbers carry context and spark better conversations.
Three Short Stories of Brand Impact
A neighborhood café unified its visual identity and origin stories. Branded search rose, weekday lines lengthened, and espresso margins improved after a small price test. Regulars repeated the farmer’s name, proving the story traveled farther than ads.
Three Short Stories of Brand Impact
Three sub-brands merged under one promise. Unaided recall doubled in six months, sales cycles shortened by twelve days, and win rates climbed against larger incumbents. The shared narrative reduced confusion and amplified partner referrals sustainably.
Three Short Stories of Brand Impact
Clear impact reporting and consistent design transformed donor trust. Branded traffic grew, corporate sponsors engaged, and average gift size increased. Surveys showed higher perceived transparency, which unlocked multiyear commitments and steadier program planning.
