Brand perception template and interview questions
Understand what people currently think, feel and associate with your brand.
The short version
- A brand perception study shows what people think, feel and associate with your brand, what they believe it stands for, and how it differs from alternatives.
- Ask the open association questions first (Q1 to Q4), and don't feed people brand attributes such as "premium" or "trustworthy".
- Compare what the brand wants to stand for with what people actually associate with it, and read customers, former customers and non-customers separately.
- Run it as 15 to 20 minute voice interviews with current customers, former customers, people considering the brand and category users who know it.
About this research
Brand perception is the picture people hold in their minds about a brand, based on everything they've seen, heard, experienced or been told.
This study explores how people describe the brand spontaneously, what they associate with it, what they believe it stands for, how they experience it, and what differentiates it from alternatives.
Study at a glance
| Study type | Qualitative brand research |
|---|---|
| Method | Moderated or AI-moderated voice interview |
| Average interview time | 15 to 20 minutes |
| Core questions | 13 |
| Best suited for | Brand, Marketing, Research, Strategy and Communications teams |
When to run this study
Run this research when evaluating brand positioning, refreshing a brand, exploring changing customer perceptions, entering a new market, or understanding gaps between intended brand positioning and actual audience perception.
Who to interview
Depending on the objective, recruit a mix of current customers, former customers, category users who know the brand but don't use it, and people considering the brand.
What you’ll learn
- What spontaneously comes to mind about the brand
- How people describe it
- What experiences shape perception
- What the brand is known for
- What it stands for in customers' minds
- How it differs from alternatives
- Its strengths and weaknesses
- Gaps between intended and actual positioning
Ready-to-use interview guide
13 questions, in the order to ask them. The numbers are the ones the table below refers to.
When you hear [Brand Name], what's the first thing that comes to mind?
What other words, ideas or feelings do you associate with the brand?
If you were describing [Brand Name] to someone who didn't know it, what would you say?
What experiences or things you've seen or heard have shaped that impression?
What do you think [Brand Name] is particularly known for?
What do you think the brand does particularly well?
Is there anything you think the brand doesn't do particularly well?
What kind of person do you imagine [Brand Name] is mainly for?
Probe if needed: What gives you that impression?
What, if anything, feels distinctive about [Brand Name]?
What other brands would you naturally compare it with?
How does [Brand Name] feel different from those brands, if at all?
Has your impression of [Brand Name] changed over time?
Probe if yes: What caused that change?
If you could tell the people behind [Brand Name] one thing about how the brand comes across today, what would you want them to understand?
Copy all 13 questions as plain text.
What this study can derive
| Research output | What it can tell you | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Brand association map | Ideas, emotions, attributes and experiences connected with the brand | Q1–Q4 |
| Perceived brand positioning | What people believe the brand stands for and who it serves | Q3, Q5, Q8 |
| Brand strengths and weaknesses | Areas audiences positively or negatively associate with the brand | Q5–Q7 |
| Perceived differentiation | What makes the brand distinct from alternatives, or interchangeable with them | Q9–Q11 |
| Competitive frame | Which brands audiences naturally group together | Q10–Q11 |
| Perception evolution | How and why brand perceptions change over time | Q4, Q12 |
| Positioning gaps | Potential differences between intended positioning and actual perception | Q3, Q5, Q8–Q13 |
How to analyze the interviews
Start with spontaneous associations before evaluating prompted brand attributes. Compare:
- What the brand wants to stand for
- What people actually associate with it
Also analyze by audience. Customers, non-customers and former customers can hold very different perceptions.
Researcher’s notes
- Avoid: Don't start by feeding respondents brand attributes. Leave out words such as "innovative," "trustworthy" or "premium" at the start, and let associations emerge first.
- Do: Separate brand perception from product satisfaction. Someone can have a positive perception of a brand while having had one poor product experience, or vice versa.
Related
Questions people ask about brand perception research
What is a brand perception study?
A brand perception study is a set of interviews about the picture people hold in their minds about a brand. It explores what comes to mind first, what people associate with the brand, what they believe it stands for, how they experience it and how it differs from alternatives. The answers show gaps between intended and actual positioning.
What questions should you ask in a brand perception interview?
This template uses 13 core questions in a 15 to 20 minute interview. They open with the first thing that comes to mind when people hear the brand name. They then cover what the brand is known for, what it does well and less well, who it's for, which brands people compare it with, and whether their impression has changed over time.
When should you run a brand perception study?
Run it when you're evaluating brand positioning, refreshing a brand, exploring changing customer perceptions or entering a new market. It also helps when you want to understand gaps between the positioning you intend and what your audience actually perceives.
Should you give people brand attributes to react to?
Not at the start. Begin with spontaneous associations and let them emerge first. Only then evaluate prompted brand attributes such as "innovative," "trustworthy" or "premium."