For Brands That Want to Measure What Really Matter
Most marketers in the Philippines know how to track ROAS (Return on Ad Spend). It’s a go-to metric that is simple, direct, and tied to sales. But what if your campaign’s real goal isn’t just immediate purchases? What if you want to change perception, increase awareness, or improve preference, as most PR campaigns begin?
That’s where brand lift comes in.
In a landscape where Integrated Marketing Communications efforts blend PR, digital, offline, and community engagement, brand lift is the better lens for long-term brand growth. This blog unpacks what brand lift is, how to measure it, and how to make it work for your next campaign.
What is Brand Lift?
Brand lift is the measurable increase in your audience’s awareness, perception, and engagement with your brand as a direct result of a PR and marketing campaign.
Instead of focusing only on sales, brand lift looks at:
- Brand awareness: “Have you heard of this brand?”
- Ad recall: “Do you remember seeing an ad for this product?”
- Brand favorability: “Do you like/trust this brand?”
- Purchase intent: “Are you likely to try or buy it soon?”
- Consideration: “Would you choose this over a competitor?”
It’s about how people think and feel about your brand, which is essential for campaigns focused on launching, repositioning, advocacy, or trust-building.
Why Brand Lift Matters
Word of mouth, perception, and reputation heavily influence purchase decisions, as much as price and performance do! For example, brands have been known to sell out because of #HeartMadeMeDoIt, where people clamor for the products that Heart Evangelista recommends. It’s like her word was law!
On the healthcare side of things, advocacies like Hope From Within have helped change the perception that cancer is an automatic death sentence. People see more hope in the fight against this disease thanks to timely information, and to actual laws (like the National Integrated Cancer Control Act) that advocate for their welfare.
Brand lift captures this influence.
It tells you whether your campaign is truly working to shape consumer attitudes, not just generate clicks.
How to Measure Brand Lift (Even Without a Big Budget)
There are several ways to measure brand lift depending on your tools and campaign size.
1. Run Brand Lift Studies via Platforms
If you’re using:
- Meta (Facebook/Instagram)
- YouTube/Google Ads
…you can access Brand Lift Study tools that let you compare a test group (people who saw your ad) with a control group (people who didn’t), then ask them survey questions like:
- “Have you heard of this brand before?”
- “Would you consider purchasing from this brand?”
Note: These tools often require minimum ad spend (e.g., ₱50,000 or higher), but they’re worth considering for big launches or rebrands.
2. Use Polls and Surveys (Manual or Organic)
You can use Google Forms or in-platform polling tools (e.g., Instagram Stories Polls, Facebook post reactions) to ask your audience:
- Where they first heard about your product
- What they think about your brand
- Whether they’d recommend it to others
Make sure to run surveys before and after your campaign to track shift in perception.
You can also work with a PR agency to help run these campaigns and post-campaign polls for you.
3. Monitor Organic Search and Branded Queries
If more people are Googling your brand name, that’s a signal of increased interest.
Use Google Search Console to monitor:
- Impressions and clicks on your brand keywords
- Queries related to product reviews or “where to buy”
Tools like Ahrefs or Ubersuggest can also show increases in brand-related search traffic during and after campaigns.
4. Track Social Mentions and Sentiment
Use social listening tools like:
- BrandMentions
- BuzzSumo
- Meltwater (for enterprise level)
- Or manual tracking via TikTok and Facebook keyword search
Measure:
- Volume of mentions
- Sentiment (positive, neutral, negative)
- User-generated content or shoutouts
This is especially relevant in the Philippines where many brands trend organically on social, especially via memes, user reviews, and viral comments.
5. Measure Earned Media Coverage
If your campaign includes PR efforts:
- Tally how many times you’re mentioned in news outlets, blogs, or influencer posts
- Note reach, tone of coverage, and backlink potential
You can work with a PR agency to monitor these media mentions and include these in post-campaign reports.
Remember that an experienced PR and IMC agency can:
- Design and execute a brand lift study tailored to your audience
- Align your creative messaging to lift brand metrics—not just performance numbers
- Interpret results using digital and traditional media KPIs
- Integrate campaign results into broader brand reputation strategies
- Present these insights in a way that supports future pitches, budget approvals, or investor updates
In short, they help you see the real story behind your campaign.
The Lift Your Brand Needs
ROAS is helpful—but limited.
If your campaign is about changing minds, building trust, or creating long-term brand affinity, brand lift is your real KPI.
It’s not always as immediate or flashy as sales, but it shows if your marketing is building something sustainable.
So the next time you plan a campaign, ask yourself: “Are we just spending to sell, or are we building a brand people will remember?”
If you’re ready to build a brand that people will remember through personalized, purposeful, and effective PR, contact NGP IMC today.