Brand Awareness Survey Template
Thirteen questions: people name brands unprompted before they see yours, then you measure recognition and where it came from.
- 13questions
- About 4 minto complete
- Recall firstno names shown before it
- Noname or email asked
The 13 brand awareness survey questions, in order
A brand awareness survey measures how many people in your market know your brand, first by asking them to name brands unprompted and then by showing a list. This one keeps the open recall question first and adds where people first heard of you. All thirteen are ready to edit in the questionnaire maker.
Unaided recall
Asked first, before any brand name appears on screen.
- Which brands come to mind when you think of [CATEGORY]? List them in the order they occur to you, or type none.your brand typed first is top of mind; anywhere counts as unaided.
Who is answering
Asked after question 1, so they cannot prompt it. To cut the results by age or region, add customer profile survey questions.
- How would you describe your relationship with [CATEGORY]?
- When did you last buy or use anything in [CATEGORY]?
- In the last year, which of these have you done about [CATEGORY]?none of these marks someone outside the market; read them apart.
Prompted awareness
The first brand names the respondent sees.
- Which of these brands have you heard of before today?ticks on the invented name measure guessing, so keep that slot.
- Have you seen or heard this line before: [YOUR SLOGAN]?the first option alone ties the line to your brand.
- In the last 30 days, which of these brands have you seen or heard advertising for?claimed ad recall; compare the waves before and after a campaign.
Source and relationship
Where people first met your brand, and whether they already buy from you.
- Where did you first come across [YOUR BRAND]?edit the list to match the channels you actually use.
- How long ago was that?
- Which of these is true for you about [YOUR BRAND]?aware people who answer neither are the ones to win next.
Depth of awareness
Whether people know what you do or only the name. How they rate you against one rival is the job of the brand perception survey.
- In your own words, what does [YOUR BRAND] do?a rival's description here means people mix up the two names.
- Which of these best describes what you know about [YOUR BRAND]?
- How confident are you that you could pick [YOUR BRAND] out from other brands in [CATEGORY]?
How to use the brand awareness survey
Send it to people who buy in your category, whether or not they know you. Run it before a campaign, again when it ends, then each quarter with identical wording. Replace the bracketed names and turn on Randomize option order for questions 5 and 7, since names at the top of a list gain ticks.[1]
| Measure | Counted when |
|---|---|
| Top of mind | Your brand is the first name typed at question 1 |
| Unaided awareness | Your brand appears anywhere in the answer to question 1 |
| Aided awareness | Your brand is ticked at question 5 |
Divide each count by all completed replies. The gap between aided and unaided is recognition still to turn into recall, and recall is what gets a brand picked when people choose from memory.[2] For people who know you but have not bought, a purchase intent survey asks when they will.
Brand awareness survey FAQ
What is the difference between aided and unaided brand awareness?
Unaided awareness counts people who name your brand unprompted, at question 1. Aided awareness counts recognition on a list, at question 5. Lists lift answers: 58 percent of Pew respondents picked the economy as the top issue from a list; 35 percent volunteered it.[1]
How do you distribute a brand awareness survey?
Recruit people who buy in your category wherever they gather: a paid research panel, a forum or group in your field, or social ads aimed at category buyers. For your existing customers, the brand loyalty survey fits better.
How many responses does a brand awareness survey need?
Enough for every group you plan to compare, such as regular buyers and people new to the category, to be read on its own. Decide the groups first, then work out the sample size you need for each.
Michael Hodge, survey methodology · Updated 25 September 2026 · How templates are reviewed
Sources (2)
- Pew Research Center. Writing Survey Questions. Methods reference. pewresearch.org
- Nedungadi, P. "Recall and Consumer Consideration Sets: Influencing Choice without Altering Brand Evaluations." Journal of Consumer Research 17, no. 3 (1990): 263-276. doi.org
Find out who remembers your brand
Thirteen questions, about four minutes, with unaided recall first. Open it in the editor and type in your category, your brand and three rivals.
Use this template