When consumer preferences shift rapidly, staying ahead requires more than intuition — it demands data-driven decision-making. Tracking studies are essential for brands seeking to improve performance, optimise marketing investments, and uncover consumer trends. 

But with so many potential data points to track, it can be easy to get lost. Selecting the right metrics can mean the difference between actionable insights and information overload. How do you determine which metrics matter most for your next tracking study? 

The Strategic Role of Metrics in Tracking Studies 

Metrics serve as the backbone of any tracking study, offering a structured way to measure brand health, customer sentiment, and market trends. Choosing the right mix of metrics means balancing the essentials vs. the nice to haves. The goal is to track changes that align with your business objectives and can drive meaningful decisions. 

Some questions that tracking can help to answer: 

• Is my brand front of mind for the needs I aim to meet? 

• Are my consumers coming back to my brand? 

• Am I converting consumers through the brand funnel? 

• Are my marketing and communications activities effectively building associations for my brand? 

• How does my brand performance compare to my competitors?   

Tracking Brand Performance Through the Customer Journey 

Brand performance is typically tracked using a structured funnel approach to understand how consumers move from initial awareness to long-term loyalty. This journey includes stages such as unaided and aided awareness, consideration and intent, purchase and trial, and loyalty and advocacy. 

By analysing each stage, businesses can pinpoint weaknesses, optimise marketing efforts, and ensure they are effectively moving consumers through the funnel toward sustained engagement. 

Commonly Utilised Metrics 

Unaided Awareness: Measures how readily consumers recall your brand without prompting. This is a strong indicator of how top-of-mind your brand is and is particularly valuable for competitive analysis. 

Aided Awareness: Evaluates brand recognition when prompted with the brand name. Comparing aided and unaided awareness highlights how much exposure is needed to reinforce your brand in consumers’ minds. 

Needs Based Salience: Measures how likely consumers are to think of a brand when making a purchase decision, capturing which brands come to mind in buying situations. Unlike simple recall, it reflects how quickly and easily a brand surfaces rather than just whether it is mentioned.  

Brand Consideration: Measures if your brand is among a consumer’s top choices. A high score indicates strong market presence, while a low score suggests the need to increase product exposure. 

Purchase Intent: Evaluates the likelihood of future purchases to forecast demand and shape promotional strategies. For example, an online retailer might track a seasonal surge in fitness gear interest at the new year. Analysing this data helps optimise inventory levels to meet demand. 

Usage Metrics: Measures how often, how long, and how deeply users interact with a product. These insights help improve features and user experiences. If a feature isn't used often, surveys can identify why, leading to redesigns or shifts in focus to more popular functions. 

Purchase Frequency: Measures repeat purchases, indicating customer retention. High frequency shows loyalty; low rates highlight areas for improvement. Businesses can use this to improve loyalty programs or re-engage buyers with targeted promotions. 

Brand Used Most Often: Tracks consumers’ primary brand choice, reflecting loyalty and market dominance. Monitoring this metric helps companies identify shifts in preferences and adjust their product offerings to stay competitive. 

Aligning Metrics with Business Objectives 

Behind every effective tracking study is a well-defined objective. Before selecting metrics, ask yourself: What decisions will this study inform? Are you looking to track brand awareness over time, measure shifts in consumer sentiment, or assess the impact of a new campaign? 

Defining the business goal will help filter out unnecessary data points and focus on what truly matters. The most common mistake businesses make when setting up a tracking study is trying to use a single survey to address multiple objectives such as measuring brand health, customer experience, and campaign performance all in one program. This often results in an overloaded survey, driving up the length of interview (LOI) and causing shifts in respondent focus. The outcome is a poor respondent and experience that ultimately compromises data quality.  

Conclusion 

Choosing the right metrics for trackers is not just about gathering data—it’s about gathering the right data to drive your business forward. By aligning your metrics with strategic objectives, you can transform tracking studies into powerful decision-making tools. Whether it’s uncovering consumer trends, boosting campaign effectiveness, or anticipating shifts in behaviour, tracking helps businesses turn data into meaningful actions and set the foundation for long-term success. 

Download the full guide here to discover the pivotal role of tracking in today’s dynamic marketplace. 

Martha Espley, Senior Research Director