Leveraging brand research

Brand managers must balance maintaining relevance and driving growth across diverse consumer segments. Traditional metrics offer a snapshot of brand performance, while a deeper, more nuanced approach can uncover actionable insights.
‍

As Dea Spiljaric, Product Marketing Manager and Consumer Psychologist, explains:

‍
Table of Contents

1. The strategic value of brand research
   
2. The hidden power of consumer psychology in brand research
   
3. Turning insights into action
   

Key takeaways

• Brand research goes beyond metrics: It uncovers deeper consumer insights that drive trust, loyalty, and long-term success.
• Psychological factors shape brand perception: Warmth, competence, and emotional connections influence consumer decisions.
• Repeated exposure builds preference: The Mere Exposure Effect shows that subtle, repeated brand visibility increases favorability.
• Brand intimacy drives stronger loyalty: Emotionally connected consumers spend more and advocate for brands.
• Leverage data-driven tools: Platforms like billups' Brand Study Dashboard help brands track, analyze, and optimize brand performance.

The strategic value of brand research

Brand research is essential for understanding how consumers perceive and engage with a brand, allowing companies to make informed decisions that strengthen trust, drive loyalty, and maximize long-term success.

Enhancing brand equity
Brand equity reflects the value derived from consumer perception of the brand. Studies reveal that 81% of consumers need to trust a brand to consider purchasing from it. Regular brand assessments help identify trust gaps and areas for strengthening brand equity.

Navigating consumer behavior complexities
Understanding the 'why' behind consumer choices is pivotal. Brand studies delve into consumer motivations, uncovering insights that enable brands to align offerings with evolving preferences, fostering loyalty, and reducing churn.

Measuring campaign effectiveness
Quantifying the impact of marketing initiatives ensures optimal resource allocation. Brand studies provide campaign reach, resonance, and conversion metrics, facilitating data-driven refinements for enhanced ROI.

‍
The hidden drivers of consumer behavior

Brand managers traditionally focus on metrics like awareness, perception, and loyalty. However, deeper psychological insights are often overlooked. These insights include brand warmth/competence, the psychological Mere exposure effect and brand intimacy.

1. Brand warmth vs. brand competence: the secret to loyalty

‍

Research shows that consumers evaluate brands based on two fundamental dimensions: warmth (trustworthiness, friendliness) and competence (capability, efficiency). Brands that successfully balance both enjoy stronger loyalty, pricing power, and advocacy.

For example, Apple is seen as both warm (it fosters a community and brand love) and competent (its technology is highly innovative). On the other hand, a brand like McKinsey may be perceived as highly competent but not particularly warm, which affects how it builds long-term emotional connections with consumers. Understanding this balance allows brands to adjust their messaging, partnerships, and customer experience strategies to reinforce the right perception.

2. The mere exposure effect: how subtle visibility shapes preference

‍

People tend to develop a preference for things they are repeatedly exposed to—a psychological phenomenon known as the Mere Exposure Effect. This insight has huge implications for Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising, as well as digital marketing.

A study published in the Journal of Consumer Research found that even when people do not consciously remember seeing an ad, repeated exposure increases brand favorability. This means that strategic placements in high-traffic areas—such as digital billboards, transit advertising, and street furniture—can drive long-term consumer affinity without requiring immediate engagement.

‍

3. Brand intimacy: the power of deep emotional connections

‍

While brand loyalty is widely acknowledged, brand intimacy—the emotional connection that consumers have with a brand—is less emphasized. It’s about how deeply customers feel connected to a brand, often on a personal or relational level. This type of connection is shown to drive stronger word-of-mouth, repeat business, and greater advocacy but is often overlooked in favor of more transactional metrics. According to MBLM's Brand Intimacy Study, the top brands with the highest levels of intimacy see a 56% greater share of wallet and a 49% higher likelihood of consumers choosing their brand over competitors. These consumers are not just buying a product—they are emotionally invested in the brand and its values.

For example, a brand like Coca-Cola has used OOH to reinforce intimate connections with campaigns like personalized bottles or emotional messaging ("Share a Coke"). The physical, in-your-face nature of OOH can make these moments feel more intimate, sparking genuine emotional connections in public spaces.

‍

How can you bring these insights into your marketing campaigns?

To empower brand managers with real-time, actionable insights, billups - a global Out-of-Home specialist with over 20 years of experience along with a suite of proprietary technologies, offers a solution. billups Analytics Brand study . offers a comprehensive overview of key brand metrics to optimize OOH strategies effectively.

They allow you to:

• Monitor brand health: Track key metrics such as brand awareness, perception, and loyalty over time.
• Analyze campaign performance: Evaluate the effectiveness of marketing initiatives across various channels, including OOH.
• Inform strategic planning: Leverage data-driven insights to guide brand strategy and investment decisions.

By integrating traditional brand metrics with advanced analytics,  billups Brand studies provide a holistic view of brand performance, enabling you to make informed, strategic decisions as marketplaces and consumer expectations evolve.

Incorporating comprehensive brand studies into your strategic toolkit is no longer optional; it's imperative for sustaining brand vitality and achieving growth. By embracing underutilized insights, brand managers can navigate the complexities of modern consumer behavior and drive meaningful engagement across all touchpoints.

For more information please visit: https://www.billups.com/products/billups-analytics/brand-study.

‍