Brand Research Gone Right: Insights from Top Branding Companies in Kerala

Introduction

Branding is the heartbeat of your business, and it’s crucial to get it right. Companies invest in building their brand’s identity and reputation. However, there are pitfalls along the way that many fall into, jeopardizing their brand’s success. In this article, we’ll delve into the most common blunders in brand research and how to steer clear of them. If you’re in the hunt for a branding agency in Kochi or seeking branding companies in Kerala, this is a must-read.

1. Choosing Your Research Partner Wisely

Selecting the right research partner is your first step towards effective brand research. An ill-designed survey can lead to misleading conclusions that can be detrimental to your business. To ensure you’re on the right path, seek out trusted research partners who not only comprehend your business problem but also have the capability to help you solve it. So, where do you find these partners?

Ask your colleagues for recommendations. Their judgment can be your beacon in the sea of options. When considering in-house research, remember that simple tasks like a Net Promoter Score study can often be tackled internally. However, for more complex tasks, like customer segmentation, you should turn to a specialist research agency.

Here’s a golden rule: don’t rely on your creative agency to conduct brand research. Keep this in mind as you navigate the branding landscape.

2. Avoid Messing Up the Research Design

Even with a reliable research partner, design flaws can creep into your brand research. One of the most common missteps is mixing qualitative and quantitative studies. They serve distinct purposes. Use quantitative research to understand what the majority of your target audience thinks and opt for qualitative techniques when you need a deeper understanding of the problem. Flipping the roles will lead to incorrect decisions.

Presenting qualitative results in percentages is a marketing faux pas, as is using quantitative surveys to uncover subconscious consumer insights. Additional design blunders include using the wrong sample, writing overly lengthy surveys, and failing to randomize answers.

3. Staying Unbiased in Your Research

To ensure objectivity in your brand research, guard against letting your current knowledge, beliefs, and opinions influence the research design. Biased questions can lead to skewed results. For instance, avoid phrasing survey questions in a way that implies “the right” answer. Additionally, the scale used in your surveys can impact responses. For instance, altering the price scale can yield different answers, so choose wisely.

4. Testing and Enhancing Creativity with Research

It’s important to remember that research measures effectiveness, not creativity. Assess how an idea contributes to your brand’s image, whether it needs refinement for better alignment with your brand, or if it drives purchase intent. Common mistakes include seeking respondents’ opinions on whether they like an idea (it’s irrelevant), comparing a new logo to the old one (nostalgia often wins), and relying on focus groups to choose the best creative idea.

While focus groups can pinpoint weaknesses in ideas, for gauging effectiveness among your target audience, quantitative research is essential. Avoid these errors to prevent stifling creative genius.

5. Making the Right Decisions

Small businesses and large corporations both make blunders when it comes to utilizing research findings. Small businesses sometimes use external research without validating its credibility. Conversely, large corporations invest in extensive research but then overlook the results due to time constraints.

Conclusion:

It’s essential to strike a balance. Next time you contemplate a strategic move based on external research, ensure you investigate the outcomes of brands that implemented the same strategy. This will provide a more grounded perspective on its potential success. On the flip side, if you invest in research, make sure you allocate time to review the findings and act upon them.

Don’t let these common brand research mistakes thwart your branding efforts. Choosing the right branding agency in Kochi or branding companies in Kerala and following these best practices will help you build a stronger, more successful brand.