Brand perception survey
What you say about your brand and what the market actually thinks rarely match. This template measures the gap — the first word that comes to mind, what you're known for, and who people would recommend you to — so positioning is grounded in perception, not aspiration.
Best for: Founders and marketers benchmarking positioning and tracking brand over time.
Use this template free1 of 7
What's the first word that comes to mind when you think of us?
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The questions
- 1What's the first word that comes to mind when you think of us?Short textTop-of-mind association before any prompting — the rawest perception signal.
- 2In one sentence, what would you say we do?Long textReveals whether your positioning actually landed or got garbled.
- 3What do you think we're best known for?Long text
- 4Who would you recommend us to, and why?Long textTheir answer describes your real ICP better than your own deck does.
- 5How do you feel about the brand overall?Opinion scalea 1-5 read on how people feel — pair it with the verbatims so you know what's driving it.
- 6Which of these words describe us?Multi selectOffer a curated list (e.g. reliable, expensive, innovative, complex) to benchmark specific attributes over time.
- 7How did you first hear about us?Short textConnects perception to channel — different sources form different impressions.
How to run it well
- Read the first-word answers as a frequency cloud; the most common word is your real positioning, whether you chose it or not.
- Compare the 'what we do' sentences against your own one-liner — the distance between them is your messaging problem made visible.
- Survey both customers and non-customers; the perception gap between them tells you whether the problem is the product or the awareness.
- Re-run the same attribute list quarterly so you can see a perception shift move, instead of guessing whether a campaign changed anything.
FAQ
Should I survey non-customers too?
Yes — non-customer perception is where most positioning problems hide. Customers already get it; the people you're failing to convert reveal what your messaging isn't communicating.
How do I turn open-ended brand answers into something measurable?
Pair the open questions with a fixed attribute list you can track over time. The verbatims tell you the story; the multi-select gives you a benchmark to watch move quarter over quarter.
How often should I track brand perception?
Quarterly is enough to see movement without chasing noise. Run an extra wave before and after a major rebrand or campaign so you can attribute the shift.
Related templates
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- Customer churn surveyFind the real reason people leave — built on past behavior, not opinions.
- User interview script (Mom Test)Mom Test questions that get the truth instead of polite encouragement.
- Product-market fit surveyThe Sean Ellis 40% test, plus the questions that find your best segment.