Qualitative Branding versus Quantitative Branding

Written By Robyn & Robyn Team Member

You’ve likely heard the terms “qualitative” and “quantitative” before. Most likely they were attached to other words like “market research” or “marketing objectives.” But you may not know much about qualitative branding and quantitative branding.

If you’re building a brand strategy or rebranding your business, here’s what you need to know about qualitative and quantitative branding.

Qualitative vs Quantitative

Let’s begin by making sure we agree on the definitions of qualitative and quantitative.

The Cambridge English Dictionary defines qualitative (in marketing) as, “based on information that cannot be easily measured, such as people’s opinions and feelings, rather than on information that can be shown in numbers.” Quantitative, on the other hand, means, “relating to information that can be shown in numbers and amounts.”

Qualitative vs Quantitative Market Research

Quantitative market research refers to the process of collecting data through surveys, questionnaires and polls. This type of research requires a large pool of respondents reflective of a brand’s core audience in order to generate relevant insights. Questions are typically highly specific and close-ended, and data must be organized, analyzed and interpreted by key stakeholders. Most organizations lack the resources, technology and expertise to do this in-house.

Qualitative market research involves analyzing customer motives and behaviors through observation. If quantitative research is about the “what” of customer behavior, then qualitative research is about the “why.” This approach can help reveal why customers prefer one product over another, why certain marketing messages resonate while others don’t and what motivates consumers to make a purchase.

What is Quantitative Branding?

Quantitative branding involves testing various hypotheses in a quantitative environment. For example, a brand can conduct surveys to see which logo or type of packaging customers prefer. The data is then analyzed and interpreted to help identify the optimal solution.

Quantitative branding involves:

  1. Defining “what” will be measured. (Identifying the measures that will provide maximum insight into the objectives.)

  2. Defining the measurement framework. (Deciding which tools to use, how frequently the observations will be aggregated and who is responsible for analyzing and reporting insights.)

  3. Collecting and presenting data in an easy-to-understand format.

  4. Analyzing data and creating a plan to adapt branding strategy to new insights.

  5. Reviewing the effectiveness of the corrective actions by comparing “before” and “after” data.

What is Qualitative Branding?

Qualitative branding can involve analyzing competitors’ branding, reading up on consumer trends, studying the psychology of consumer preferences and behavior, and searching for opportunities to fill an unmet need in the market.

Qualitative research and branding presents a variety of benefits:

  • Provides an insider’s view of the field that allows a researcher to identify subtleties and complexities that may be missed by purely statistical research.

  • May suggest possible relationships, causes and effects.

  • Allows for ambiguities and contradictions reflective of social reality.

  • Uses a descriptive, narrative style that can be easier to understand than complex statistical models.

  • Provides opportunities for survey participants to state their perspectives in their own words, rather than with predetermined responses.

Why We Prefer Qualitative Branding

When it comes to branding, we believe there is no right or wrong way. How a brand is expressed through logos, colors, shapes and patterns is subjective. Though data gathered from quantitative research may be helpful in developing a business growth strategy, when it comes to branding, we believe qualitative research is the most helpful.

Qualitative research provides opportunities to interact with consumers and find out what they truly like and dislike, and want and don’t want. Qualitative branding takes into consideration the gray areas that are often missed by charts and graphs.

In reality, humans are much more complex and nuanced than black and white numbers. And at Robyn & Robyn, our branding process reflects the beautiful complexities of who we are as people.


Robyn & Robyn Team Member
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