How associations influence consumer preference?

Article Mark Vroegrijk, Senior Methodologist & Mirlijn Sabel, Research Manager

Identifying the selection process within a product category is vital for marketers. The image that a brand evokes among consumers is decisive for that process. When you know which characteristics of brands (and in which way) most influence the final choice of consumers, you can respond tactically. By improving the brand in these areas and / or giving these aspects a more central position in the communication strategy, you can continue to grow as a brand.

Despite the importance of understanding a brand’s position in the minds of consumers, marketers and researchers struggle to properly identify it. On the one hand, we see that closed statements are used, which are often difficult for respondents to understand, and on the other hand, free associations that are surveyed are not easy to use quantitatively. In practical market research, one of these two measurement methods is regularly preferred over the other. As a result, the analyses that can be performed are mainly guided by how the data is collected. However, we can ask ourselves: is there really a method that should be clearly preferred? And: do the results of both methods not ultimately amount to more or less the same? Or does each method yield its own and unique pieces of the total puzzle?

The search for the best way to measure brand position has inspired DVJ Insights to conduct extensive research into this.

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