CPG-Retail

How to Measure CPG Brand Health with Key Metrics

Ankit Singh
September 6, 2025
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In today’s fast-paced market, a brand's perception can shift quickly due to negative feedback, PR, or a competitor's new product launch. Research shows that 81% of consumers need to trust a brand before making a purchase. As these factors influence consumer preferences, measuring brand health has become essential.

Tracking brand health is not just about how many people recognize your logo; it’s about understanding how customers feel about your products, how often they purchase, and how your brand performs compared to the market. By focusing on the right metrics, brands can make informed decisions that support their growth strategies.

At a Glance:

  • Comprehensive Brand Health Tracking: Key metrics like brand awareness, perception, and equity provide valuable insights into customer loyalty and market positioning.
  • Customer-Centric Metrics: NPS, purchase intent, and market share help measure customer satisfaction, buying likelihood, and competitive standing.
  • Actionable Insights for Growth: Tracking these metrics enables businesses to make informed decisions, identify risks, and adjust strategies for long-term success.
  • Tools for Effective Monitoring: In-store data analysis and dashboards offer real-time insights to drive brand health optimization.

What is CPG Brand Health and Why Does It Matter?

Brand health refers to how well your CPG brand is performing in the market and how consumers perceive it. It’s not just about sales figures; it focuses on capturing customer sentiment, loyalty, and perceptions, especially shelf visibility. If consumers can’t easily find your product in-store on the shelves, it directly affects awareness, consideration, and ultimately, long-term brand success.

Monitoring brand health provides businesses with a comprehensive view of their current position and growth potential. Here’s why it’s essential to measure:

  • Informed Decision-Making: Measuring brand health provides businesses with key insights that inform actions, from marketing campaigns to product placements, ultimately driving growth in CPG-retail execution.
  • Identifying Potential Risks: Regularly tracking brand health helps spot problems early, such as product placement, stockouts, or misalignment with the planogram, which can lead to declining consumer trust and allow for quicker corrective actions.
  • Sustaining Competitive Advantage: Ensuring your products are consistently visible on the shelves and properly placed according to the planogram is crucial for maintaining your brand's relevance and visibility in-store, directly impacting sales and consumer perception.

Top 5 Key Metrics to Track Brand Health

Top 5 Key Metrics to Track Brand Health

To effectively measure brand health, CPG brands need to focus on metrics that provide visibility into in-store execution and product placement. Let's explore the top 6 key metrics that every brand should monitor:

1. Brand Awareness

Brand awareness measures how familiar your target audience is with your brand. It is one of the first indicators of whether your brand is making an impact in the market. High brand awareness is usually a positive sign, as it suggests that consumers are actively thinking about or recognizing your brand in the context of a specific product or service category.

For CPG companies, brand awareness can be closely linked to on-shelf visibility. If consumers can easily identify your products on the shelf, your brand awareness increases. Tools like ParallelDots' ShelfWatch can help track how products are displayed on the shelf, ensuring that they are visible and accessible, ultimately improving brand awareness.

2. Brand Perception

Brand perception is how consumers feel about your brand. It is the emotional connection that people have with your products. While brand awareness measures recognition, brand perception evaluates the quality, reliability, and trustworthiness of your brand.

Perception plays a critical role in influencing purchase decisions. Positive brand perception leads to customer loyalty and recommendations, while negative perceptions can significantly hinder growth.

CPG brands can measure brand perception through shelf presence and planogram compliance. These factors show how well the brand aligns with consumer expectations when placed on store shelves.

3. Brand Equity

Brand equity is the value a brand holds in the marketplace. It is built over time through consistent marketing, positive customer experiences, and strong brand loyalty. A strong brand equity often leads to higher demand, the ability to charge premium prices, and secure better shelf placements.

For CPG brands, maintaining strong brand equity means ensuring that their products are consistently available and properly displayed on store shelves. Utilizing real-time shelf data ensures that products are always in the right place, improving overall brand equity.

4. Net Promoter Score (NPS)

The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a widely used metric that measures customer loyalty and satisfaction. It is based on a simple question: “On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend this brand to a friend or colleague?” Responses are categorized into three groups:

  • Promoters (9-10): Loyal customers who are likely to recommend your brand.
  • Passives (7-8): Satisfied customers who are not as enthusiastic.
  • Detractors (0-6): Unhappy customers who may discourage others from buying your product.

It is calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors (those who would not recommend the brand) from the percentage of promoters (those who would recommend it).

A high NPS indicates strong customer loyalty, which directly impacts long-term brand health. For CPG brands, improving shelf visibility and maintaining on-shelf stock availability can directly influence consumer satisfaction.

5. Purchase Intent

Purchase intent measures how likely consumers are to purchase a product in the future. This is often influenced by brand awareness, pricing, and product availability. For CPG brands, tracking in-store shelf execution, product visibility, and promotional compliance are critical to converting consumer interest into actual purchases.

High purchase intent is a positive indicator of brand strength and the potential for growth. Monitoring purchase intent helps brands anticipate demand, adjust their marketing strategies, and optimize their retail execution.

What are Tools and Methods for Measuring CPG Brand Health?

To accurately measure CPG brand health, businesses need a combination of tools and methods that provide real-time insights and actionable data. Here are some of the most commonly used tools and methods:

  • On-Shelf Stock Monitoring: Track the availability of products on store shelves to ensure they are consistently in stock and prevent lost sales due to stockouts.
  • Planogram Compliance: Monitor whether products are placed according to the agreed planogram. Ensuring compliance helps avoid errors in product positioning that could impact consumer buying behavior.
  • Share of Shelf Analysis: Measure the space your brand occupies compared to competitors on retail shelves. This analysis helps assess market presence and provides insights for strategy adjustments.
  • Promotional Execution Monitoring: Track the effectiveness of promotional displays. Ensure that promotional products are correctly placed and sufficiently stocked to maximize the impact of the campaign.
  • Data-Driven Insights Dashboards: Use dashboards to consolidate real-time shelf data, enabling businesses to gain actionable insights that help improve overall retail execution and brand visibility.

What are the Challenges in Brand Health Measurement?

While measuring brand health is essential, businesses face several challenges when attempting to track and interpret these metrics. Some common issues include:

  • Data Accuracy: Collecting reliable data on brand awareness and perception can be difficult due to varying consumer opinions and biases.
  • Data Integration: Combining data from various sources, including social media, surveys, and retail audits, can be complex. Ensuring all data points are consistent and actionable is a major hurdle in retail execution.
  • Complexity of Metrics: Brand health involves multiple interconnected metrics that require thorough analysis and consistent tracking to form an accurate picture of in-store performance.
  • Market Fluctuations: External factors such as economic conditions, competitors' actions, and changes in consumer behavior can impact brand health metrics, making it harder to measure progress accurately.
  • Resource Constraints: Small and medium-sized CPG brands may lack the resources to invest in sophisticated brand health measurement tools.

How ParallelDots Can Support Your Brand Health Analysis?

ParallelDots offers valuable tools that enhance your ability to track and improve brand health, specifically in physical retail environments. By providing real-time shelf data, ParallelDots helps CPG brands monitor key metrics that directly influence brand health.

Here’s how we can assist you:

1. Real-Time Shelf Monitoring: ParallelDots provides ShelfWatch, which tracks the visibility and stock levels of your products in real time. By monitoring shelf conditions, it ensure that your products are always accessible and visible to consumers. This directly enhances brand awareness and brand perception, as well-positioned and available products attract more attention and increase trust.

2. Planogram Compliance Monitoring: With ShelfWatch, you can track whether products follow the agreed-upon planogram across all retail locations. It alerts you to any deviations in real-time, ensuring that your products are displayed consistently and strategically. Maintaining planogram compliance helps strengthen brand equity by ensuring a consistent and professional brand image in-store.

3. Boosting Product Visibility: By tracking product placement and stock levels in real time, ShelfWatch ensures your products remain visible on shelves. Visibility directly correlates to higher brand awareness and helps your products stand out in crowded retail spaces. This increased visibility strengthens your competitive position and enhances market share.

4. Data-Driven Insight: ParallelDots provides ongoing feedback on shelf performance, helping you identify underperforming products or areas with frequent stockouts. This data-driven approach enables quick adjustments to improve sales execution and optimize in-store strategies. Continuous optimization enhances brand health by aligning execution with consumer demand and expectations.

Through continuous measurement and optimization, CPG brands can build strong, resilient brands that thrive in the long run. To learn more about how ParallelDots can support your brand health analysis and retail execution strategies, contact us today to schedule a demo and start optimizing your brand’s in-store performance!

FAQs

1. How to do brand health analysis?

Brand health analysis involves tracking key metrics such as brand awareness, customer perception, loyalty, and market share. Use tools like surveys, social media monitoring, and sales data to assess how your brand is perceived in the market. Regularly analyze competitor performance to gain insights and make informed decisions.

2. How often should you measure brand health metrics to ensure an accurate assessment?

Brand health should be measured regularly, typically quarterly or semi-annually, to ensure timely insights. However, frequency can vary depending on the industry and market dynamics. In fast-moving markets, more frequent measurements (monthly or bimonthly) may be needed to stay competitive and address issues promptly.

3. How do you interpret changes in brand health metrics over time?

Changes in brand health metrics should be analyzed for patterns. A sudden drop may indicate issues like a PR crisis or product failure, while gradual improvements suggest successful campaigns or brand positioning. Contextualizing these shifts with market events and consumer feedback helps understand the cause and impact.

4. How can negative reviews or PR crises impact brand health, and how should brands respond?

Negative reviews or PR crises can harm a brand’s reputation, leading to decreased trust, loyalty, and sales. Brands should address issues swiftly, acknowledge mistakes, and communicate transparently with their audience. A strong crisis management strategy and effective customer service are essential to restore brand health.

5. How is share of voice (SOV) related to brand health?

Share of voice (SOV) refers to the percentage of media presence a brand holds compared to competitors. A higher SOV generally correlates with stronger brand health, indicating greater visibility, influence, and consumer engagement. Tracking SOV helps brands assess their competitive position and adjust marketing strategies accordingly.

In today’s fast-paced market, a brand's perception can shift quickly due to negative feedback, PR, or a competitor's new product launch. Research shows that 81% of consumers need to trust a brand before making a purchase. As these factors influence consumer preferences, measuring brand health has become essential.

Tracking brand health is not just about how many people recognize your logo; it’s about understanding how customers feel about your products, how often they purchase, and how your brand performs compared to the market. By focusing on the right metrics, brands can make informed decisions that support their growth strategies.

At a Glance:

  • Comprehensive Brand Health Tracking: Key metrics like brand awareness, perception, and equity provide valuable insights into customer loyalty and market positioning.
  • Customer-Centric Metrics: NPS, purchase intent, and market share help measure customer satisfaction, buying likelihood, and competitive standing.
  • Actionable Insights for Growth: Tracking these metrics enables businesses to make informed decisions, identify risks, and adjust strategies for long-term success.
  • Tools for Effective Monitoring: In-store data analysis and dashboards offer real-time insights to drive brand health optimization.

What is CPG Brand Health and Why Does It Matter?

Brand health refers to how well your CPG brand is performing in the market and how consumers perceive it. It’s not just about sales figures; it focuses on capturing customer sentiment, loyalty, and perceptions, especially shelf visibility. If consumers can’t easily find your product in-store on the shelves, it directly affects awareness, consideration, and ultimately, long-term brand success.

Monitoring brand health provides businesses with a comprehensive view of their current position and growth potential. Here’s why it’s essential to measure:

  • Informed Decision-Making: Measuring brand health provides businesses with key insights that inform actions, from marketing campaigns to product placements, ultimately driving growth in CPG-retail execution.
  • Identifying Potential Risks: Regularly tracking brand health helps spot problems early, such as product placement, stockouts, or misalignment with the planogram, which can lead to declining consumer trust and allow for quicker corrective actions.
  • Sustaining Competitive Advantage: Ensuring your products are consistently visible on the shelves and properly placed according to the planogram is crucial for maintaining your brand's relevance and visibility in-store, directly impacting sales and consumer perception.

Top 5 Key Metrics to Track Brand Health

Top 5 Key Metrics to Track Brand Health

To effectively measure brand health, CPG brands need to focus on metrics that provide visibility into in-store execution and product placement. Let's explore the top 6 key metrics that every brand should monitor:

1. Brand Awareness

Brand awareness measures how familiar your target audience is with your brand. It is one of the first indicators of whether your brand is making an impact in the market. High brand awareness is usually a positive sign, as it suggests that consumers are actively thinking about or recognizing your brand in the context of a specific product or service category.

For CPG companies, brand awareness can be closely linked to on-shelf visibility. If consumers can easily identify your products on the shelf, your brand awareness increases. Tools like ParallelDots' ShelfWatch can help track how products are displayed on the shelf, ensuring that they are visible and accessible, ultimately improving brand awareness.

2. Brand Perception

Brand perception is how consumers feel about your brand. It is the emotional connection that people have with your products. While brand awareness measures recognition, brand perception evaluates the quality, reliability, and trustworthiness of your brand.

Perception plays a critical role in influencing purchase decisions. Positive brand perception leads to customer loyalty and recommendations, while negative perceptions can significantly hinder growth.

CPG brands can measure brand perception through shelf presence and planogram compliance. These factors show how well the brand aligns with consumer expectations when placed on store shelves.

3. Brand Equity

Brand equity is the value a brand holds in the marketplace. It is built over time through consistent marketing, positive customer experiences, and strong brand loyalty. A strong brand equity often leads to higher demand, the ability to charge premium prices, and secure better shelf placements.

For CPG brands, maintaining strong brand equity means ensuring that their products are consistently available and properly displayed on store shelves. Utilizing real-time shelf data ensures that products are always in the right place, improving overall brand equity.

4. Net Promoter Score (NPS)

The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a widely used metric that measures customer loyalty and satisfaction. It is based on a simple question: “On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend this brand to a friend or colleague?” Responses are categorized into three groups:

  • Promoters (9-10): Loyal customers who are likely to recommend your brand.
  • Passives (7-8): Satisfied customers who are not as enthusiastic.
  • Detractors (0-6): Unhappy customers who may discourage others from buying your product.

It is calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors (those who would not recommend the brand) from the percentage of promoters (those who would recommend it).

A high NPS indicates strong customer loyalty, which directly impacts long-term brand health. For CPG brands, improving shelf visibility and maintaining on-shelf stock availability can directly influence consumer satisfaction.

5. Purchase Intent

Purchase intent measures how likely consumers are to purchase a product in the future. This is often influenced by brand awareness, pricing, and product availability. For CPG brands, tracking in-store shelf execution, product visibility, and promotional compliance are critical to converting consumer interest into actual purchases.

High purchase intent is a positive indicator of brand strength and the potential for growth. Monitoring purchase intent helps brands anticipate demand, adjust their marketing strategies, and optimize their retail execution.

What are Tools and Methods for Measuring CPG Brand Health?

To accurately measure CPG brand health, businesses need a combination of tools and methods that provide real-time insights and actionable data. Here are some of the most commonly used tools and methods:

  • On-Shelf Stock Monitoring: Track the availability of products on store shelves to ensure they are consistently in stock and prevent lost sales due to stockouts.
  • Planogram Compliance: Monitor whether products are placed according to the agreed planogram. Ensuring compliance helps avoid errors in product positioning that could impact consumer buying behavior.
  • Share of Shelf Analysis: Measure the space your brand occupies compared to competitors on retail shelves. This analysis helps assess market presence and provides insights for strategy adjustments.
  • Promotional Execution Monitoring: Track the effectiveness of promotional displays. Ensure that promotional products are correctly placed and sufficiently stocked to maximize the impact of the campaign.
  • Data-Driven Insights Dashboards: Use dashboards to consolidate real-time shelf data, enabling businesses to gain actionable insights that help improve overall retail execution and brand visibility.

What are the Challenges in Brand Health Measurement?

While measuring brand health is essential, businesses face several challenges when attempting to track and interpret these metrics. Some common issues include:

  • Data Accuracy: Collecting reliable data on brand awareness and perception can be difficult due to varying consumer opinions and biases.
  • Data Integration: Combining data from various sources, including social media, surveys, and retail audits, can be complex. Ensuring all data points are consistent and actionable is a major hurdle in retail execution.
  • Complexity of Metrics: Brand health involves multiple interconnected metrics that require thorough analysis and consistent tracking to form an accurate picture of in-store performance.
  • Market Fluctuations: External factors such as economic conditions, competitors' actions, and changes in consumer behavior can impact brand health metrics, making it harder to measure progress accurately.
  • Resource Constraints: Small and medium-sized CPG brands may lack the resources to invest in sophisticated brand health measurement tools.

How ParallelDots Can Support Your Brand Health Analysis?

ParallelDots offers valuable tools that enhance your ability to track and improve brand health, specifically in physical retail environments. By providing real-time shelf data, ParallelDots helps CPG brands monitor key metrics that directly influence brand health.

Here’s how we can assist you:

1. Real-Time Shelf Monitoring: ParallelDots provides ShelfWatch, which tracks the visibility and stock levels of your products in real time. By monitoring shelf conditions, it ensure that your products are always accessible and visible to consumers. This directly enhances brand awareness and brand perception, as well-positioned and available products attract more attention and increase trust.

2. Planogram Compliance Monitoring: With ShelfWatch, you can track whether products follow the agreed-upon planogram across all retail locations. It alerts you to any deviations in real-time, ensuring that your products are displayed consistently and strategically. Maintaining planogram compliance helps strengthen brand equity by ensuring a consistent and professional brand image in-store.

3. Boosting Product Visibility: By tracking product placement and stock levels in real time, ShelfWatch ensures your products remain visible on shelves. Visibility directly correlates to higher brand awareness and helps your products stand out in crowded retail spaces. This increased visibility strengthens your competitive position and enhances market share.

4. Data-Driven Insight: ParallelDots provides ongoing feedback on shelf performance, helping you identify underperforming products or areas with frequent stockouts. This data-driven approach enables quick adjustments to improve sales execution and optimize in-store strategies. Continuous optimization enhances brand health by aligning execution with consumer demand and expectations.

Through continuous measurement and optimization, CPG brands can build strong, resilient brands that thrive in the long run. To learn more about how ParallelDots can support your brand health analysis and retail execution strategies, contact us today to schedule a demo and start optimizing your brand’s in-store performance!

FAQs

1. How to do brand health analysis?

Brand health analysis involves tracking key metrics such as brand awareness, customer perception, loyalty, and market share. Use tools like surveys, social media monitoring, and sales data to assess how your brand is perceived in the market. Regularly analyze competitor performance to gain insights and make informed decisions.

2. How often should you measure brand health metrics to ensure an accurate assessment?

Brand health should be measured regularly, typically quarterly or semi-annually, to ensure timely insights. However, frequency can vary depending on the industry and market dynamics. In fast-moving markets, more frequent measurements (monthly or bimonthly) may be needed to stay competitive and address issues promptly.

3. How do you interpret changes in brand health metrics over time?

Changes in brand health metrics should be analyzed for patterns. A sudden drop may indicate issues like a PR crisis or product failure, while gradual improvements suggest successful campaigns or brand positioning. Contextualizing these shifts with market events and consumer feedback helps understand the cause and impact.

4. How can negative reviews or PR crises impact brand health, and how should brands respond?

Negative reviews or PR crises can harm a brand’s reputation, leading to decreased trust, loyalty, and sales. Brands should address issues swiftly, acknowledge mistakes, and communicate transparently with their audience. A strong crisis management strategy and effective customer service are essential to restore brand health.

5. How is share of voice (SOV) related to brand health?

Share of voice (SOV) refers to the percentage of media presence a brand holds compared to competitors. A higher SOV generally correlates with stronger brand health, indicating greater visibility, influence, and consumer engagement. Tracking SOV helps brands assess their competitive position and adjust marketing strategies accordingly.