Brand Awareness Spend Pays Off in Search Results

Google and research partner Tracksuit have published a study called 'Return on Awareness' that examines the impact of brand awareness spend on search behavior. The study, which covered 31 brands across 15 categories, found a direct correlation between increased brand awareness and share of search.

The results showed that for brands with around 30% brand awareness, every five-point gain in awareness produced roughly a five-point gain in share of search. Researchers consider share of search to be a leading indicator, meaning movement there tends to show up in market share later.

The study's findings were particularly significant for growth-stage and disrupter brands, which have the most to gain from increased brand awareness. The report framed brand investment as 'one of the most commercially efficient things a marketer can do.'

The timing of this study is also noteworthy, coming as companies are cutting business investment in response to economic uncertainty. A recent CMO Survey found that marketers were cutting costs nearly four times more often than raising them.