This is a ready-to-use brand health tracking template for CPG brands. For the complete tracking methodology, see Brand Health Tracking for CPG. For the full question library, see 75 CPG Consumer Research Interview Questions.
Tracking Study Setup
Frequency: Monthly or quarterly (consistent cadence is essential)
Sample per wave: 50-100 verified category purchasers
Sample composition: Consistent across waves: [X]% brand buyers, [Y]% category buyers (non-brand), [Z]% competitive brand buyers
Methodology: 30-minute AI-moderated interviews
Cost per wave: $1,000-$2,000
Annual cost (monthly): $12,000-$24,000
Discussion Guide: Brand Health Pulse
Section 1: Category State (3 minutes)
Q1. “Which brands in [category] come to mind right now? Just name the ones you think of first.”
Purpose: Unaided awareness tracking. Record order of mention.
Q2. “Has anything changed in [category] recently that has caught your attention?”
Purpose: Category dynamics tracking. Detect emerging competitive threats or trends.
Section 2: Brand Perception (8 minutes)
Q3. “When I say [brand name], what are the first three words or images that come to mind?”
Purpose: Top-of-mind association tracking. Compare across waves for stability or drift.
Q4. “What does [brand name] stand for that no other brand in this category can claim?”
Purpose: Differentiation tracking. Measure strength and clarity of unique positioning.
Probing: “How important is that to you when making purchase decisions?”
Q5. “How has your view of [brand name] changed over the past [month/quarter]?”
Purpose: Trajectory tracking. Detect direction of brand equity movement.
Probing: “What caused that change? Was there a specific moment or experience?”
Section 3: Competitive Dynamics (5 minutes)
Q6. “Name a brand in this category that has gotten better recently. What did they do?”
Purpose: Competitive threat identification. Track which competitors are gaining equity.
Q7. “Think about the last time you chose [brand] over an alternative. What tipped you in [brand]‘s direction?”
Purpose: Purchase driver tracking. Identify which factors currently drive brand selection.
Section 4: Loyalty Assessment (8 minutes)
Q8. “What would [brand name] have to do to lose you as a customer?”
Purpose: Vulnerability identification. Map the loyalty floor and switching triggers.
Q9. “If [brand name] disappeared from shelves tomorrow, what would you buy instead? How would you feel?”
Purpose: Brand essentiality measurement. High essentiality = strong equity.
Section 5: Forward-Looking (6 minutes)
Q10. “If you were advising [brand name]‘s CEO, what one thing would you tell them to focus on?”
Purpose: Improvement opportunity tracking. Surface the highest-priority consumer recommendation.
Core Metrics: Wave-Over-Wave Tracking
| # | Metric | How to Measure | Alert Threshold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unaided awareness | % mentioning brand in top 3 | Drop of 5+ points |
| 2 | Association stability | % of top associations consistent with previous wave | <70% consistency |
| 3 | Differentiation clarity | % who can name a unique brand claim | Drop below 40% |
| 4 | Competitive threat | New competitor mentioned as “getting better” by 20%+ | Any new entrant at 20%+ |
| 5 | Loyalty trajectory | % saying relationship is strengthening vs. weakening | Net negative direction |
| 6 | Vulnerability | New switching triggers not seen in previous waves | Any new trigger at 15%+ |
| 7 | Essentiality | % who would feel “real loss” if brand disappeared | Drop below 30% |
Wave Report Template
Page 1: Dashboard
Wave [#] Summary — [Date]
| Metric | This Wave | Previous Wave | Trend | Alert? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaided awareness (top 3) | [%] | [%] | [arrow] | [Y/N] |
| Association stability | [%] | [%] | [arrow] | [Y/N] |
| Differentiation clarity | [%] | [%] | [arrow] | [Y/N] |
| Competitive threat level | [description] | [description] | [arrow] | [Y/N] |
| Loyalty trajectory (net) | [+/- %] | [+/- %] | [arrow] | [Y/N] |
| New vulnerability signals | [count] | [count] | [arrow] | [Y/N] |
| Essentiality score | [%] | [%] | [arrow] | [Y/N] |
Key narrative: One paragraph summarizing the most important shift this wave and its strategic implication.
Page 2: What Changed and Why
For each metric that shifted significantly:
- What changed: Quantified shift with comparison to previous wave
- Why it changed: Evidence from consumer verbatims (3-5 representative quotes)
- What it means: Strategic implication for brand team
Page 3: Competitive Intelligence
- Which competitors gained positive mentions
- What specific actions drove the positive perception
- Whether this represents a threat to brand positioning
Page 4: Recommendations
- Immediate actions (respond within this cycle)
- Monitoring items (watch in next wave)
- Strategic implications (inform quarterly or annual planning)
For the complete brand health methodology, see Brand Health Tracking for CPG. To launch your first brand health pulse with verified category purchasers, start a study or book a demo.