Assess and Track Brand Humanization

A long-established American agribusiness and food company sought to reposition its brand to align with values that matter to modern consumers, including, but not limited to, Millennials. Understanding the relevance of Brand Humanization (i.e., comprised of Brand Trust and Brand Empathy values and perceptions) informed strategic market positioning, tactics, and communications focus.

APPROACH

W5 developed a custom survey to understand if Brand Humanization matters to target consumers regarding their category purchase decisions. In addition to standard survey questions, client logos, category and product imagery, and emoticons were incorporated to stylize and gamify survey design to elicit engaged, humanistic response. Brand Humanization is comprised of multiple aspects of Brand Trust and Brand Empathy. W5 quantified how well consumers felt the company delivered on attributes including brand purpose, business conduct, social responsibility, customer value, and employee appeal, mapped to a Brand Humanization framework. Future tracking research will assess the extent of the company’s success in positioning and marketing to consumers over time.

RESULTS

W5 confirmed Brand Humanization is valued, especially among Millennials, and informs purchase decisions creating opportunities for immediate positioning and marketing. Specifically, the client gained actionable direction for messaging and imagery to feature on its website, in advertising, and other marketing communications, ensuring resonance with current and future audiences.