Introducing the first and only measure of brand love that combines what people say and what they do.
Executive Summary
Blake Williams, Director of Data Strategy, The Shipyard writes that the future of Brand Love measurement has arrived in the form of Pulse
- Virtually all available measurements of Brand Love are focused exclusively on social listening and survey data, ignoring more direct consumer action
- Pulse, the newly developed measurement tool by The Shipyard, incorporates not only what consumers say about a brand but has a dedicated focus to what consumers do – the actions they take that indicate Brand Love
Why This Matters
The idea of trusting only what consumers say is outdated and ignores massive data sources that all brands have access to. In a world where there are countless ways for consumers to interact with a brand, Pulse measures all of them to give a clear picture of how much consumers love a brand, and key areas that brands should emphasize to further develop that love.
Takeaways
- Limitations in survey data and inconsistent motives on social media have created major gaps in current evaluations of Brand Love
- The actions that consumers take in relation to a Brand are often more indicative of their true feelings and have a measurable impact on that brands bottom line
- Pulse is a customizable tool that combines disparate data sources – inclusive of survey and social listening data but extending to additional organic social behavior, paid media response data, website data, emails and more – into one holistic and prescriptive score
- The four subcomponents of Pulse – Attraction, Affection, Passion and Commitment – provide a granular view into where in the journey to brand love consumers may be falling off and allow for strategies to be developed to address those issues
Challenges & Watch Outs
- A comprehensive Brand Love measurement like Pulse, requires a comprehensive strategic response. Media alone won’t necessarily lead to an improved Pulse score as owned and earned channels are also critical in driving improved Brand Love
- Proper access to and organization of data feeds is required for an accurate Pulse score. Data outputs are only as strong as the data inputs being used so ensuring proper structure is a key to success
- While surveys and social listening create an incomplete picture, they remain a critical part of the overall measurement that Pulse provides and should not be ignored.
