Background
For years, the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan (Michigan Ross) had partnered with research vendors to conduct a brand tracking study to monitor awareness and perceptions of the school, and produce insights to inform ongoing marketing strategies.
When it came time to field the most recent wave of research, Michigan Ross stakeholders used the opportunity to explore how new vendors could revamp the study and make the resulting reports clearer, more concise, and more actionable. Campos won the work in a competitive bidding process.
Regular brand health tracking is vital for any consumer-facing organization, but not all brand trackers are created equal. Any market research firm can create a brand tracker that simply measures metrics like awareness and familiarity. But it takes a truly strategic partner to design a tracker that measures why your brand stands where it does vis-a-vis competitors, and identifies how you can move the needle in the future.
Execution
For Michigan Ross, Campos began by thoroughly reviewing the school’s past brand tracking research and making recommendations for updating the survey instruments to generate more actionable insights. Then, we fielded the survey among prospective undergraduate and graduate students.
Our analysis compared the survey results to past waves and pinpointed shifts in KPIs compared to competitors. Additionally, we conducted a driver analysis to determine which factors impact Michigan Ross’ brand metrics most. We ended with a concise set of strategic recommendations backed by the data, including opportunities for the school to establish a more differentiated brand.
Results
Campos delivered a brand tracking report that the Michigan Ross team immediately praised for “nailing” their vision, providing a clear, concise, and visually digestible summary of key findings and recommendations. Campos has continued to partner with Michigan Ross on other market research initiatives.
Want to benchmark and track the health of your brand? Reach out.