The indirect approach implies measuring customer-based brand equity without
measuring it against something else. Here, the sources of brand knowledge and
pattern of associations are identified through mapping out consumers’ brand
knowledge. Keller recommends that several methods are applied in order to
capture as many aspects of customer-based brand equity as possible. Remember
that associations are stored in the memory as different mental representations.
Some methods are more suited for bringing out some representations than others.
- Brand awarenessis assessed through aided as well as unaided memory measures.
To start with, is the brand name recognized? The brand should be correctly
discerned by the consumer as previously seen or heard. Brand recall can be tested
through testing which brand is ‘top of mind’ in a brand category. The brand
should be correctly identified given for instance a product category. Response
times for both recall and recognition can be measured in order to depict the ease
with which the brand comes to mind, reflecting attitude strengths. - Brand associationscan be captured in many ways. Free association tasks can
be performed either individually or in focus groups to lay out the association
maps fundamental to the customer-based brand equity framework. Probing
(in terms of asking ‘how’, ‘why’, ‘what’ questions) and projective techniques
can be applied in order to help reluctant respondents along. Examples of
suitable projective techniques are sentence completion, picture completion,
and filling in speech balloons. Individual interviews can also be conducted in
order to understand the formation of associations.
The consumer-based approach 101Box 6.4 Projective techniques
Using projective techniques is a way to let the respondents’ unconscious
speak. Respondents are assumed to hold things back in order to protect their
self-image in a research situation. When investigated by means of
projective techniques, focus is moved away from the respondent and
‘projected’ at hypothetical others. Thereby, respondents are supposed to
open up to the interviewer and actually reveal more about themselves than if
asked directly. Below are listed different projective techniques.- Sentence completionRespondents are presented with an unfinished
sentence and asked to complete it - Picture completionIn the same fashion, respondents are asked to
complete an unfinished picture - Speech balloonsAn empty speech balloon is filled out by the respondent
The sentences, the pictures and the drawings forming the backgrounds of
the speech balloons should all carefully depict a situation that is relevant to
the brand in question.