How to conduct a

‘brand perception’
customer survey
James Hammond
The #1 small business
Brand Consultant
 Building a powerful brand is all about
creating the strongest positive perception
in the minds of your customers. But
your existing customers already have a
perception – one that’s the result of all
the experiences over time they’ve had in
dealing with your company and, if you
employ staff, your people too.
The only way to find out about their
current perception is to ask them. But how
you do it is very important. You not only
want to discover if they are happy with
your service, you also need to know what
are the key Brand Reflections™ for them.
‘A brand for a
Brand Reflections™ make up your Brand
company is like a Halo™ and are the most important times
when customers (and potential customers)
reputation for a come into contact with your business.
person. You earn It could be a phone call, or a mailing of
some kind, or it could be a face-to-face
reputation by trying meeting. At these – and other – times,
to do hard things there is the opportunity to be innovative,
thus amplifying their happy experiences
well.’ and building a positive perception in their
– Jeff Bezos, founder, minds.
Amazon.com
Because branding should cover all the
senses wherever and whenever possible,
we need to find out what are the main
‘sensory drivers’ for their perception so that
we can focus on those particular dynamics.
Remember from the presentation:
• Visual: Some people like to see what you
mean and make buying decisions based
on how things look.
• Auditory: Some people like to hear about
your product or service and decide to buy
based on whether it sounds like the right
purchase.
• Kinaesthetic: Some people like to
experience the product or service (with
a product, it’s about touching, tasting,
smelling, depending on what the product
is) and decide whether the purchase feels
right to them.
Of course, not all customers will respond
to surveys in an identical way, but what
we are looking for are the major trends.
The ‘Pareto Principle’, otherwise known
as the 80-20 rule, states that 80% of
your business comes from 20% of your
customers. These percentages will vary but
the ratio is usually about right. So we need
to find the perception factors that hold
true for the majority of your customers.
The following is a brand perception
survey template for you to copy which
incorporates sensory questions. Because
businesses differ in the products and
services they have to offer, you may need
to modify the questions somewhat. You
can also add your own questions, but don’t
make the questionnaire too long, or people
will not want to take the time to fill it in.
Although the survey is quite basic, the
results should at least indicate what kind of
perception the majority of your customers
have, and what ‘lead system’ they use
to determine that perception – visual,
auditory or kinaesthetic (VAK). You’ll
see that each sensory ‘tick box’ question
follows the same VAK order. Once you
know the preferences, all you have to do is
make sure that you innovate at each Brand
Reflection™ in your business.
You can conduct this survey in a number
of different ways. Sending a questionnaire
through the post is perfectly alright. So
is email. Or, if you want to keep a regular
check on your customers’ perception of
your business, create it on your website.
The key to participation is, where you can,
to offer some incentive for taking part. It
could be a small gift, specifically chosen
for those who respond, or you might give
a discount on their next purchase of your
product or service, or a reduced rate over a
period of time. See how innovative you can
be with your ‘thank you’ to the respondees!
I hope you enjoyed the presentation I gave,
and that this template helps you on the
road to building a powerful brand for your
business.
Regards
James Hammond
Brand Consultant
 Use this covering letter to accompany your questionnaire
Dear [Enter name of customer here]

As the [Enter your job title] of [Enter your company name here], I want to thank you for being one of our
valued customers. I want to ensure that we always serve you as best as we can, and so I’d appreciate it if
you’d take a few minutes to tell me about the what you think about our business and its product/service.
This information will be used to evaluate our level of customer satisfaction and help us plan our service
offering for the future.

Please return this form [Or give alternative if sending via email, or posting on web] by [Enter cut-off date].
As a token of my appreciation for helping us, I’d like to offer you [State offer/discount/gift here] with my
compliments.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards

[Enter your name, job title and signature here]

PS Please note that as part of our Data Protection policy, we will not attribute this information to any
individual when collating the results of this survey.

From what you know about [Enter your company name here], please answer the following questions and/or tick the relevant boxes:

1. What do you think [Enter your company name here] does (in a sentence or two, please)?

2. In thinking about the quality of service you have received from us recently, how did we fare?

Extremely unsatisfactory
Unsatisfactory
Average
Very satisfactory
First class

3. If you indicated Unsatisfactory or Extremely unsatisfactory, please could you tell us what happened?

4. If you had cause to complain, how was the situation resolved?

Extremely unsatisfactory
Unsatisfactory
Average
Very satisfactory
First class

5. Overall, when you deal with our company, what’s most important to you? (Tick just one box please.)

The total image of your business. The way I’m spoken to by your staff. The way I feel I’m treated.

6. When we introduce new products or services, how would you prefer us to let you know about them? (Tick just one box please.)

Show you what they are through a brochure, mailer or your website.
Tell you about them through a telephone call or visit by a representative.
Getting a sample for ‘hands-on’ experience.

...continued on back page

7. When I meet with people from your company, the most important thing to me is: (Tick just one box please.)

How they look

What they say to me
How they make me feel

8. What four (4) words from the following list would you use to describe [Enter your company name here]?

Sincere Co-operative
Competent Organised
Sophisticated Systematic
Open Practical
Conscientious Creative
Agreeable Effective
Reliable Efficient
Innovative Punctual
Successful Friendly
Intelligent Polite

9. What makes [Enter your company name here] different from other options available?

10. What is the most important thing about [Enter your company name here] – the thing that causes you to use [Enter your
company name here] over any other company for its product/service?

James Hammond, Brand Consultant

James Hammond has spent the last 27
years in brand management and strategy,
corporate identity, sales, marketing and
customer care.
As a brand consultant, he has worked
with numerous blue-chip organisations,
including Yellow Pages, Virgin, Honda,
Norwich Union and EMI.
Based in Cambridge, James’ company
Brand Creative offers consultancy,
training and implementation on brand
projects ranging from full brand
creation to corporate identity design
and production.

In 1988 he helped create BT’s £22million 15 Meadowlands

brand marketing department and was Burwell
part of the team that produced the highly Cambridge CB5 0HG
acclaimed ‘Beattie’ television campaign.
In addition, James has helped build brands T: 01638 602731
for small businesses as well as charities F: 01638 744190
involved in homelessness, overseas aid, M: 07876 553763
human rights, animal welfare, religious
persecution and mental health. E: james@brandcreative.net
W: www.brandcreative.net
While at BT, James wrote The Telemarketing
Handbook. He is also the author of
Brand Halo™ and Brand Reflection™ are trade
Managing The Small Business For Success, marks of Brand Creative and may not be used
published in 1992. without express permission of James Hammond.