With brands under growing pressure to prove the ROI of their marketing, accurate and consistent measurement of brand perception has never been more important. But many insight teams still struggle with data that feels unclear, inconsistent, or just too noisy to act on.

Benedikt Koch, Product Manager at Latana, plays a key role in shaping how our tools help brands cut through that noise. Working across internal process automation and cost efficiency, he ensures our customer-facing solutions not only deliver better insights, but also do so in a way that’s scalable and sustainable for the teams using them.

In this Q&A, Benedikt shares his perspective on the most common data quality challenges in brand tracking, why many existing solutions fall short, and how Latana’s approach is designed to give brands the clarity they need to grow with confidence.

Got your own question about measuring brand perception? Send it to us at news@latana.com. We’ll make sure it gets answered.

Q. When it comes to measuring brand perception, what are the most common challenges that brands face?

A. One of the biggest challenges brands face when measuring brand perception is getting reliable, high-quality insights. When insights don’t match real-world experience or seem inconsistent over time, trust in the data erodes. 

Too often, the data comes from small sample sizes, leading to results that swing wildly from one wave of data to the next. If your brand score shifts by 3%, but the margin of error is over 5%, you’re left wondering: Is anything actually changing, or is it just noise?

However, it’s not just a measurement problem. Increasing sample sizes is both difficult to achieve and incredibly expensive. The other issue is information overload. We hear from clients who have in the past received massive data dumps (endless charts, stats, and slides) without clear direction on what truly matters. 

This lack of clarity leads to scepticism. Brands need reliable and actionable insights, not just more data. Without them, it’s nearly impossible to understand whether your marketing efforts are driving real growth or just generating noise.

‍Q. Do you think there are adequate solutions that exist in the industry today to solve these issues?

A. While there are plenty of solutions on the market that claim to address this, many brands are still feeling unsatisfied with their data. With too many insights and lots of irrelevant data, they find it is often tedious and overwhelming to digest. And even when the data does line up with their underlying needs, it is often too imprecise to be able to confidently make decisions based on it. 

This is especially true in smaller markets or when trying to understand highly specific audience segments. With access to only small sample sizes due to budget or provider limitations, issues like underrepresentation and sampling bias can cloud the reliability of the data. 

The core issue we see is poor data quality, and that starts with data collection methods. Getting a wide enough sample that is truly representative of the population being measured is the first step toward relevant and actionable brand insights. 

Q. What does the Latana product offer differently?

A. At Latana, we are committed to resolving the data quality issues in brand tracking. We continuously run internal research to improve our methodologies to ensure we are confidently delivering high-quality data to our customers.

We don’t rely on panels to reach the audience our clients need. Instead, we leverage interactive mobile ads to gather millions of survey responses directly within the ad experience. These surveys appear as full-screen formats across mobile websites and apps, allowing people to respond instantly. It also means we can reach anyone with a smartphone.

Not only does this approach eliminate incentive-driven acquiescence bias, but it also accesses a broader, more diverse audience. Ad-based sampling can reach up to 100,000 respondents annually, greatly expanding the scale and representativeness of the data. It also covers over 150 countries, offering coverage well beyond the top 50 markets typically prioritised by traditional research providers. And because this approach doesn't rely on pre-recruited respondents, it easily includes underrepresented demographics like 18–25-year-olds and people aged 66 and over, groups that are frequently under-sampled in panel-based studies.

Q. What would a typical tracker with Latana look like?

A. A typical tracker with Latana starts with the essentials: the brand marketing funnel. We cover the core stages (brand awareness, consideration, and preference), often paired with past purchase behaviour. For more mature brands or competitive markets, we can also measure unaided (top-of-mind) awareness to get a fuller view of brand strength.

Beyond the funnel, Latana adds a second layer of insight: brand perception and image attributes. These include how positively or negatively your brand is viewed, along with key associations like “high quality,” “good value,” or “sustainable.” These metrics help explain why your funnel is performing the way it is and where to adjust messaging or campaigns. To give all of this context, we also track a competitive set, usually five or more rival brands, so you can see how your performance stacks up.

While our trackers are built on standardised KPIs refined through years of brand marketing expertise, we know one size doesn’t always fit all. That’s why we offer expert guidance and customisation where needed—so you get a proven framework tailored to your brand’s unique goals.

And, of course, everything provided is top-notch when it comes to data quality :)

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