What is the value of aided vs. unaided brand awareness?
Unaided brand awareness is more valuable than aided brand awareness. It indicates that a stronger impression has registered in the mind of the customer than the impression connected with aided brand awareness. If your brand’s unaided brand awareness in a random sample of consumers surveyed or interviewed is, say, 65% then this simply means that 65% of the respondents were able to name your brand when asked about brand names they recall in particular. For example, imagine I am asked by an interviewer: “What brands of beer are you familiar with?” I answer: Budweiser, Miller Lite and Coors Light. He prompts: “Any more?” I answer: “Pabst Blue Ribbon.” These beers named would reflect unaided awareness. Those four (4) brands are in my so-called evoked set, and thus they hold a kind of top-of-mind awareness within my consciousness. This is an important measure of brand strength or Brand Equity. The interviewer might then prompt me: Are you familiar with Rolling Rock (or any other brand might
For smaller companies, or newer brands, I would argue that aided brand awareness is something a company should aggressively target at the beginning in certain circumstances. The most valuable situation where aided brand awareness comes into play is if your product is already on the shelves at most major retailers where your company competes. For example, I have no idea what toilet paper has the funny animated bear commercials, but when I see it in the aisle I buy it because of the commercials. That is an example of how aided brand awareness can drastically increase sales. If your brand is sitting on the shelves, and the packaging or the name prompts people to remember the advertising campaign, then that can draw sales regardless of whether or not the consumer can name your brand in an unaided survey. An example where this would not be the case would be when you are searching for a e-book reader. The only name I knew of is the kindle, and I had no interest in one. However, three of my f
The short answer is that I think you would find a higher correlation between unaided and preference than aided and preference. Brand funnel: If you do a brand tracker you would probably have a brand funnel that goes from awareness, consideration, trial towards loyalty (or something similar that works for your market). Doing that over time you can work out if awareness is a prerequisite and leading indicator of preference. In my experience it is, which is why I measure those variables. Through brand tracking you will also get the brand funnel of each competitor. I have done this and found very robust relationships between awareness and preference, varying by maturity of market. Campaign level: If you then set uplift objectives for how individual campaigns should contribute to overall objectives and monitor the brand funnel variables (and probably more granular proxies) you will get good benchmark data over time. If you can track you campaigns through customer acquisition and lifetime va
In general the goal is to have brand awareness filter up organically from the customer’s life, rather than be something they feel is forced on them. (ex./Starbucks, Facebook). This is the argument for product placement, partnerships and sponsorships as a branding tool as opposed to advertising (ex/Coca-Cola vending machine at Five Guys burger chain). At the same time, aided brand awareness (ads, billboards) is critically important in establishing a new brand or a new direction for a brand (ex/Kia Soul commercials, Chrysler as “Made In Detroit”). The question is not aided vs. unaided but rather the extent of customers’ emotional attachment + intellectual commitment to the brand: You are successful if they can honestly say, “This is the only brand for me.” Hope this is helpful.Via Devin Hermanson.
