How to Use Customer Surveys to Strengthen Your Brand

There’s a regional grocery brand I shop at quite often – always in the store. I tried online ordering during COVID, and call me picky, but I just didn’t like their fruit and vegetable selections. Partly my fault. I mean, how do you describe that perfect blend of green and yellow you want in a banana? Or the exact softness you’re seeking in an avocado?

When I check out, I always save my receipt so I can do their online survey. Partly because I’m always interested in how brands do surveys, and partly (mostly?) because I want to win the monthly drawing for completing the survey.

It’s pretty exhaustive (and somewhat exhausting, but hey, it’s for money). And it covers a lot of bases – from price and value, to store cleanliness, product quality and selection, and a pretty broad question about “satisfaction with store employees.” I dutifully fill it out, and sometimes my ratings change based on the experience I had that day. But I suppose for the store, it’s the moving average that counts.

What struck me is that I had no idea what they wanted to stand for most, and what they thought was most important to me. Surely, the twenty or so categories they use in their survey can’t all be important.

Brands can’t go to the well too often when doing surveys. Survey fatigue is a real thing, and what you’ll eventually get are quick, let’s-just-get-this-done completions. By limiting survey questions to just what you want your brand to stand for, and using customer data to understand what’s most important to your customers, you’ll be better able to track performance against what matters most – to you and your customers.

How do you do this?

First, you’ll need to articulate the four or five most important attributes you want your brand to stand for. And ideally, these attributes are aligned with what your most profitable customers want you to stand for. (Notice I wrote “most profitable customers.” You don’t want to go out of your way touting attributes that will only attract unprofitable customers!)

My firm, Brand Unison, helps clients develop a one-page Brand Platform. It articulates your most profitable customer segments, identifies their most important needs, how you position yourself to them, and the brand image attributes that support this positioning.

Yup, all on one page. No big decks. No pre-ambles, ambles, or post-ambles.