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Brand Research

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Rethinking Brands as Energy By Tony Lewis, Founder of Vision One Research For years, marketers have been taught to think of brands as fixed systems, defined by positioning statements, values, and visual identity. But through his work at Vision One Research and in Brand Momentum, Tony Lewis challenges this convention. His central idea is simple but transformative: Brands are not static objects. They are energy. From Brand Assets to Brand Energy Traditional branding focuses on what a brand is… its purpose, its values, its positioning. But Tony Lewis argues that this misses something critical: What matters is not just what a brand stands for — but how much momentum it has. In this model, brands behave like moving systems: This is what Brand Momentum defines as brand momentum: the energy that drives growth. The Battery Model of Brands A key idea in Brand Momentum is that brands function like batteries. Every interaction either: This is where the work of Vision One Research becomes critical, measuring not just awareness or perception, but the direction and intensity of brand movement. Why Entertainment is Central to Brand Momentum One of the most powerful implications of this thinking is that it reframes the effectiveness of advertising. Traditional positioning models struggle to explain why humour, entertainment, and quirkiness work so well. But in the Brand Momentum…

Brand Momentum: Rethinking Brands as Energy

Elisabeth Hill – Strengthening Client Success with Creativity, Experience, and Insight We’re delighted to welcome Elisabeth Hill to Vision One Research as our latest hire and newest Senior Market Researcher. Elisabeth Hill (aka Liz), joins us at an exciting time for the business, bringing over 20 years of market research experience and a strong track record of leading complex client projects to successful outcomes. Her role will focus on client success and heading up key research programmes, ensuring our clients not only receive rigorous insight but also feel genuinely supported and confident in the decisions they make as a result. Growing up in Australia, but based in Marlow, Elisabeth brings both strategic depth and a refreshingly creative perspective to research and analysis. Throughout her career, she has worked across a wide range of sectors, helping organisations move beyond surface-level data to uncover the meaning behind behaviour, attitudes, and decision-making. What makes Elisabeth a particularly exciting addition to the Vision One team is the way she blends analytical rigour with creative thinking. Alongside her research career, she has long been involved in film and TV writing. This storytelling background brings a powerful lens to insight work, helping to frame findings in ways that are human, engaging,…

Welcoming Elisabeth Hill

Kendra Furey Head of Brands at Vision One

Celebrating the Appointment of Kendra Furey as Head of Brands I’m absolutely delighted to share some exciting news from all of us here at Vision One Research. Kendra Furey has been promoted to Head of Brands. Over the past six years, Kendra has been an integral part of our journey, leading with empathy, intelligence, and an unwavering dedication to our clients as Head of Client Success. She has played a huge role in helping us deepen our partnerships and deliver insights that have genuinely transformed how our clients view their brands and customers. In her new role, Kendra will lead our brand research team, helping clients uncover what truly drives brand growth and guiding them on their journey toward achieving Brand Momentum – our proven approach to sustainable brand success. A New Chapter for Vision One At Vision One, we’ve always believed that brands can, and should, be powerful engines of growth. But as the marketing world evolves, it’s clearer than ever that performance marketing and short-term activation alone can’t deliver the long-term results businesses need. That’s where Kendra’s leadership makes all the difference. Her passion for brand strategy, behavioural insight, and helping clients succeed is truly inspiring. She has a rare ability to see both the…

Vision One Appoints Kendra Furey Head of Brands

Brand differentiation

Brand Differentiation and the Differentiation Paradox: “How to Fit In While Standing Out” We all know that markets are where demand meets supply. But in today’s crowded and fast-moving environment, the winners aren’t just those who meet demand; they’re the ones who shape it. Here’s the paradox: To win in any market, you need to belong enough to be relevant, but stand out enough to be chosen. Blend in too much, and you become invisible. Stand out too far, and you risk alienating the very audience you’re trying to reach. Growth lies in mastering this tension. Whether you’re operating in a B2C or B2B space, your growth strategy depends on how well you understand the forces within your market and how smartly you influence them. That’s not guesswork; it’s research, insight, and action. The real opportunity? Learning to play the market, not just participate in it. Let’s explore how markets are structured, what factors drive demand, and how you can leverage insight to shift the dynamics in your favour. Markets are a Living Ecosystem A market isn’t just a collection of customers; it’s a living ecosystem shaped by: And most importantly: it’s dynamic. Markets expand, contract, and evolve and profiles change.. Demand rises and falls. Preferences shift. When you’re winning,…

Brand Differentiation and the Differentiation Paradox

Building your Brand

Building your brand: Five Top Tips to Steer Clear of ‘Shiny New Thing Syndrome’ How to Stay on Track, Consistent, and Motivated as a CMO, Business Leader, or Brand Owner  In the fast-paced world of branding and marketing, it’s easy to be lured by the latest trends, tools, and technologies promising quick wins and instant success. This phenomenon, known as ‘shiny new thing syndrome,’ can lead to fragmented strategies, inconsistent messaging, and wasted resources. For CMOs, business leaders, and brand owners, staying focused and consistent is paramount to long-term success. It’s also vital that you can separate the noise and clutter from the valuable tools, strategies and support that will make a genuine, long-lasting impact, and avoid the latest fads! Research indicates that brands often face significant risks when they get distracted by new trends, potentially leading to adverse effects on their performance. A study by the Journal of Advertising Research highlights that discontinuing or frequently shifting advertising strategies, for example, can result in a decline in brand sales. The research underscores the importance of consistency to maintain a brand’s mental availability and market share, especially among light buyers who may forget the brand if it’s not consistently visible (Journal of Advertising…

Building your Brand: Steer Clear of ‘Shiny New Thing Syndrome’

Identifying valuable consumer groups

Building a Brand with a Brand Development Strategy Your brand is undoubtedly the most important asset for long-term growth. To complement our brand evaluation system ‘BrandVision’ we have created this Brand Building Guide.  BrandVision provides the essential link between your brand strategy and the customer.  5 Steps to a Succesful Brand Strategy Brand development involves the process of creating and fortifying your brand. To facilitate companies on this journey, we break down the process into 5 key steps.  To accomplish these tasks, you’ll require a well-thought-out brand development strategy.  Step 1 – Consider Your Business Strategy Your brand can be seen as a reflection of your brand reputation and how prominently it stands out in the marketplace. We quantify the strength of your brand as a product of Reputation x Visibility. There are many ways of evaluating reputation and our highly regarded Brand Equity Wheel provides a wide array of metrics to help inform and build your strategy. A strong, well-differentiated brand will make growing your brand much easier. But what type of brand do you want? Are you planning to grow organically? Your overall business strategy and goals must be at the heart of your brand development strategy, so that’s the place to start. If you are clear about…

Building your Brand Strategy

Introduction to Brand Tracking

Brand Tracking Workshops – Do you need them? If you are in the early years of your brand lifecycle, then chances are you haven’t conducted a lot of research and you don’t fully understand your brand. On the other hand, you might just be finding after years of growth your brand may be running out of steam? Either way, Vision One’s brand workshops are focus groups designed to help you fully understand your brand and are the perfect way to prepare for the all-important Brand Tracking (which incidentally every brand owner needs in their armoury!). Why you need Brand Workshops Brand tracking is probably one of the most significant ongoing research investments your business will make over time. If you are starting out, then you will quickly realise that one of the biggest challenges is knowing what to focus on. Even in a survey, time is precious – so you need to know exactly what you want to ask and how  – but also ensure you are capturing the thoughts and needs of your customers. So to help with the process of getting the most from your tracking programme we offer optional brand development workshops. Why is it important to…

Brand Tracking Workshops

Free Brand Tracking Trial

Secure your free brand health check today. For a limited time only, Vision One is giving you the chance to conduct a health check on your brand, completely free of charge, and inspired by our innovative brand tracking tool Brandvision.  A strong brand has the power to attract customers, build trust and loyalty. But how do you know if your brand is healthy and on a positive trajectory? Measuring brand equity is key for businesses of all shapes and sizes, delivering critical insights which help understand awareness of your brand and the relationship you carve with consumers. Our brand experts at Vision One are devoted to helping you see the whole picture and optimise your brand and marketing strategy and planning.    We understand that many businesses don’t have the time, resources or expertise to conduct a brand health check, and some are unclear about the strategic, actionable insights this would provide. As competition increases and consumer preferences change, it has become more important than ever to ensure that your brand is communicating effectively and resonating with your target audience. That’s why for a limited time only (and subject to terms and availability), we would like to give you the opportunity to assess your brand’s performance…

Brand Tracking – Free Trial Special Offer

Why you need a Brand Vision

What is a Brand Vision? A brand vision is a future vision of a brand. It outlines where a brand is going. What it stands for, and what it wants to achieve.   A Brand Vision reflects the mission and vision statements of a company and incorporates its brand identity, market positioning and branding. Ultimately it maps a vision and trajectory for the future. It takes years for a brand to build its stature and reputation, and this is why a brand vision is so important – it is ultimately both the goal and the route map to success.   Brand Vision Explained Your brand vision should be encapsulated in mission and vision statements. These documents help you to define your goals for your business and outline how you would like your brand to appear to the outside world and your employees. In a nutshell, your Vision statement should relay the future position you’d like your brand to occupy in the future. Whilst your Mission statement defines how your brand currently defines itself, its goals and how it plans to reach these goals. By using both the Brand Vision statement and the mission statement together, you can chart a journey between where you are now and…

Why you need a Brand Vision

Our Love of Brands & Brand Love Vision One

February has finally arrived, a month that has long been celebrated as a month of romance – a time to remember and appreciate our loved ones. And what better way to mark Valentine’s Day than to launch our new brand tracking metric – Brand Love! Available to all new and existing Vision One clients to delve deeper into the consumer-brand relationship; how deep is your (brand) love? Love Through The Ages (A Brief History Of Brand Love) Introduced by Shimp and Madden (1988), Brand Love has gained a lot of interest from market researchers in recent years, and for good reason! Brand love is concerned with the formation of emotional bonds in Consumer-Brand Relationships (CBRs), the likes of which both parties might have with other people! Interestingly, Brand Love is related to the consumer’s emotional attachment to the brand, which is characterised by a strong positive emotional experience related to the brand, leading to the brand dominating the cognition of the consumer, causing them to interact more with the brand, and reinforcing the CBR (Nawaz et al., 2020). Such relationships appear to be an essential component in the success of a brand and appear to be closely linked to brand…

Valentine’s Day Special: Our Love of Brands & Brand Love

What is Brand Desirability There’s a reason why we choose certain products and brands over others. Often, it’s a conscious decision.  But sometimes, it might be more instinctive based on our subconscious. But when we are comparing one brand with another, what we’re really doing is making a judgement.  We ask ourselves fundamental questions – “Which one appeals the most? Which one do I want?”  We’re talking about a brand’s desirability. The most successful, growing brands are ‘desirable’.  Consumers ‘want’ their products or ‘want’ to align themselves with what the brand stands for.  Desirability is a key driver of brand growth (Vision One Brand Growth Study 2021), and it’s a fascinating and important area to explore. But what does desirability really mean? What makes a brand desirable? And how can we measure how desirable a brand is? Are you fulfilling your customers’ practical needs? When something is desirable, it holds some appeal.  It ticks some boxes – it’s worth having.  We attach value to it and are therefore willing to commit and pay. Your brand’s desirability is a reflection of how well it satisfies your consumers’ needs. Take practical needs. Do you know exactly what your customers are looking for from your market?…

Exploring ‘desirability’ as a driver of Brand Growth

Have you ever thought about why brands choose their colours? Or the effect they have on you when deciding between products?… Market Research News Have you ever thought about why brands choose their colours? Or the effect they have on you when deciding between products? We’ve taken a look into the Meat Free market to highlight not only what colours brands use, but why they choose the colours they use. A brand’s colour is intrinsically linked to the ability of a company to create a strong identity with its customers. Brands desire to be distinctive and recognisable because it gives their company better brand awareness. Awareness is linked to when a consumer is buying a product – they subconsciously recognise brands they are familiar with, whether through usage or advertisements they have seen. So, if consumer awareness isn’t the problem, what is driving their decision? The look of the product. So why does colour matter? Colour plays an integral part in the look of a product, which is why across all markets you will find examples of brands trying to stand out from the crowd. So much so that there are brands you can recognise purely from seeing their colour…

The Colour Psychology of Meat Free Brands