Using Customer Insights to Strengthen Brand Perception Across Markets

Background

A manufacturer of professional tools wanted to better understand how its brand and product range were perceived in two European markets. Although the company had a long history and a broad assortment, internal teams suspected that customers were not fully aware of the complete product offering, and that perceptions differed significantly between markets.

To gain clarity, a structured customer satisfaction and branding study was conducted among painters, contractors, and small businesses.

Challenge

The research aimed to address two overarching issues:

1. High satisfaction but limited purchasing concentration

Customers expressed strong satisfaction with the brand and its products, yet only a portion of their total spending in the category went to this brand. This indicated unrealized potential within the existing customer base.

2. Uneven product awareness

In one market, customers recognized only a few product categories, while the rest of the range remained largely unknown. This limited cross‑selling opportunities and reduced the brand’s overall visibility.

“More than half of customers were unfamiliar with several product groups.”

Approach

A telephone‑based survey was conducted among existing customers. The study explored:

• Awareness of product categories
• Brand associations
• Brand image
• Product usage
• Customer satisfaction
• Recommendation likelihood
• Share of wallet

This provided a comprehensive view of how the brand was perceived and where opportunities existed.

Key Insights

1. Strong brand image and high satisfaction

Customers consistently rated the brand positively across aspects such as product quality, reliability, and service. Recommendation scores were strong, indicating a loyal customer base.

However, price perception was less favorable, suggesting a premium positioning that not all customers fully understood.

2. Awareness gaps limit product adoption

While some product categories were widely recognized and used, others were barely known. This was especially true in one of the markets, where customers associated the brand with only a few core items.

This lack of awareness directly impacted usage levels and reduced opportunities for customers to explore the full range.

3. Competitive intensity varies by market

One market showed a small set of well‑known competitors, while the other revealed a long list of alternative brands. This indicated different levels of competitive pressure and different needs for brand reinforcement.

Recommendation

Unlock growth by increasing visibility of the full product range

With trust and satisfaction already established, the primary growth lever lies in activating broader product adoption. The brand should shift focus from reinforcing credibility to expanding consideration across the full assortment by:

• Clarifying the role of the total portfolio
  Communicate how individual product categories fit together as a coherent solution for professional users.
• Elevating visibility of under‑utilised categories
  Ensure lesser‑known product groups receive systematic exposure alongside established core products.
• Aligning messaging across customer touchpoints
  Apply consistent, market‑specific communication to reinforce breadth, relevance, and premium positioning.

Impact

The research equips the manufacturer with a clear, evidence‑based foundation to translate customer trust into commercial growth. Specifically, it enables the organization to:

• Sharpen strategic focus by market
  Identify where awareness gaps and competitive pressure differ between markets, allowing the brand to prioritise investment and tailor emphasis accordingly.
• Actively expand share of wallet among existing customers
  Leverage high satisfaction and loyalty to stimulate cross‑category adoption, reducing reliance on a limited set of core products.
• Reframe the assortment as a coherent solution portfolio
  Move from isolated product recognition to a clearer understanding of how the full range fits together and delivers added value for professional users.
• Strengthen brand positioning without re‑earning trust
  Build on an already strong brand image and recommendation levels to justify premium perception through clearer communication of breadth and relevance.
• Translate insight into focused commercial initiatives
  Use concrete evidence on awareness gaps and usage patterns to guide communication priorities, product presentation choices, and market‑specific brand activation.