Refresh versus Reframe: A Case Study on Assessing Brand Health
A state department responsible for maintaining nearly half a million acres of natural, recreational, and cultural resources approached our partners at Argus to make visual refinements to their brand—starting with a new logo. Their ultimate goal was to attract more attention, recognition, and support for the important work they do from partners and residents.
In order to guide the brand refresh, they needed to first understand where they currently stood in the ‘marketplace’ and in the eyes of those audiences they wanted to reach. With this in mind, they hired Market Street to assess impressions of their existing brand.
Our Approach
To best understand the client’s brand health, we measured audience perceptions across four different indicators:
- Relevance: Does it matter to me? Is it for people like me? Does it make my life better?
- Differentiation: Does it stand out? Can I recognize it? Is it different or memorable?
- Salience: Is it top of mind? Can I recall it? Does it have a role in my life? Do people I know talk about it?
- Impact: Is it meaningful? Is it trusted? Is it unique or essential?
We conducted two surveys, one with a representative sample of residents and one with non-profit stakeholders, which allowed us to capture statistically significant feedback on impressions of and interactions with the brand.
In addition, we moderated an in-depth discussion board for the non-profits that work most regularly with the client to share their perspectives and give us an even more detailed understanding of who they are as a partner.
This combination of qualitative and quantitative data allowed us a nuanced understanding of current brand strengths and where there’s room for improvement.
Key Findings
- Out of sight, out of mind: To unlock brand value in the eyes of consumers, the client needs to focus on improving its salience. Most residents are unaware of this agency and all that it oversees, despite sharing its values and reaping direct benefits. It isn’t top of mind for either conservation or recreation, and brand recall is quite low, despite their wide reach.
- A false dichotomy: Stakeholders sense a disconnect between the two components of the client’s brand—and this constrains perceived value. Partners are quick to acknowledge that the department is important to them and their community. But most feel that their attempt to tackle both topics is too vast a scope, which reduces their ability to truly contribute to their partners’ priorities.
Impact
When Argus initially approached us, the client believed they simply needed a new logo to gain consumer attention. But through our brand awareness research, we were able to help them understand the broader challenges that their brand currently faced.
Our research showed that partners and residents alike didn’t truly understand the client or its brand at a high level—all that they do and what they stand for. And with this new information, the agency decided to revisit their strategic plan and switch their focus from a logo to first developing a consistent brand language to tell their story in a clear and compelling way.
Brand Health Assessments systematically evaluate your brand health using performance metrics that capture awareness, equity, loyalty, and other key indicators of differentiation, relevance, salience, and impact.
To learn more about Brand Health Assessments and how conducting one can benefit your brand, contact us for a consultation today.