Is brand tracking an expensive way to see nothing change?

Written by Charlotte Andrews

How many times have I heard clients say they do brand tracking because that’s what’s expected, it’s what everyone else does? It ticks a box or they have brand trackers but no one ever looks at the results… the most expensive way to watch a line chart flatline or pyramids that never budge!

Well in that case, you’re not doing it properly! It needs to be the heart beat of your market, the pulse of your organisation and you need to make it work hard for your company. A few golden rules to give you so much more than funnels and prompted consideration…

Be brave!

1. LOOK AGAIN AT WHAT YOU'RE MEASURING

Be focused and specific about what you track. It’s not a competition to monitor as many metrics as possible. Instead, it’s about selecting metrics that truly matter and align with your brand’s objectives. Don’t hesitate to challenge your own and stakeholders’ assumptions. Every brand tracker should be unique, finely tuned to your specific needs. Less can be more on a brand tracker, but don’t track for historical reasons, review regularly and track the things that the business care about!

2. BE FLEXIBLE AND FRESH

In our rapidly evolving business landscape, flexibility is key. While consistency on KPIs is obviously essential for reliable results, having a flexible section that you can adapt throughout the year can be invaluable. This allows you to respond to any emerging category trends and promptly address burning business questions in an efficient and cost-effective way. It helps to ensure your brand tracker remains relevant, up-to-date and a great source of fresh insight, even in constantly shifting environments.

3. DON'T KILL YOUR AUDIENCE WITH A THOUSAND TREND LINES

Create a strategic narrative. We’ve all seen tracking reports that feature slide after slide of what feels like the same chart, cut by every audience. When the data doesn’t really move that much (as is often the case), it’s not exactly all that interesting. The key is to avoid overwhelming with endless charts and figures that leave people wondering, “So what?” Instead the emphasis should always be on crafting a strategic narrative that highlights your brand’s opportunities, key focus areas, and delivers results for hypotheses and communications. Offer your clients fresh, invaluable insights that inspire action.

4. MATCH YOUR BRAND'S HEARTBEAT

Linked to the above, while monthly reporting might be the norm, but it’s not always the most suitable choice. If your industry moves slowly or your brand experiences minimal campaign activity or changes, quarterly or even half-yearly dips are often more than sufficient. Avoid the trap of producing monthly reports that reveal minimal changes and waste precious research budgets. Tailor the frequency to individual needs and environments for maximum insight and value.

5. BRING YOUR OWN BRAND BUZZ

While some may appreciate traditional reports filled with charts, our clients want a more exciting and visual experience. Interactive dashboards and engaging infographics are great tools for reviewing and sharing traditional tracking data. These tools empower clients to explore and interact with the data at their own pace, enhancing their understanding and engagement. And it means any deep dive reports can instead focus on being more investigative rather than just playing back the trend lines.

If you’re pondering your brand tracker’s effectiveness or considering starting one, look no further. Boxclever offers a free audit to assess the health of your existing tracker. We are experts at crafting bespoke brand and comms tracking programmes to suit the needs of any business, big or small. Additionally, we can work with your existing tracking data, and even combine with sales and media spend data to provide greater commercially valuable insights to your existing tracking programme. So let us unlock the potential of your brand and keep you on track.