What shapes brand image
- Experiences with the product, the service and customer support
- Advertising, content and social media
- Reviews, word of mouth and media coverage
- The prices, places and partners the brand is associated with
- How the company behaves, for example on sustainability and ethics
Brand identity vs brand image
Brand identity is what the company sends out: its logo, colors, voice and messages. Brand image is what people receive. When the two match, the brand is strong; when they don’t, there is a gap to close with better products, service or communication.
How to measure brand image
Use customer surveys and interviews, review ratings and recurring themes, social listening, net promoter score and branded search trends.
Brand image example
A budget hotel advertises “modern comfort”, but guest reviews keep saying the rooms are noisy and the staff are rude. The hotel’s identity says modern and comfortable, while its image in guests’ minds is cheap and unpleasant. Bookings fall. After new windows, staff training and a visible response to every review, the reviews improve and the image slowly changes.
How to find out what your brand image is
- Read reviews and social media comments in full, including the negative ones.
- Ask customers three words that describe you.
- Look at what appears when you search for your brand name, and the suggestions in autocomplete.
- Compare what you say about yourself with what customers say.
How to improve brand image
- Fix the real cause behind the complaints.
- Reply to reviews quickly and politely.
- Publish proof: case studies, certifications and honest stories.
- Keep your message steady so people can learn it.
Brand image FAQs
Can advertising change brand image?
Only if the experience supports it. Ads that promise more than the business delivers can make the image worse.
How is it different from reputation?
The ideas are close. Reputation is usually about trust and past behaviour. See brand identity and brand equity.