Brands have been facing uncertainties since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic; and for many of them, this has led to tightening budgets, primarily spending less on advertising. So, what was the marketplace impact of these cuts in ad spending that most brands instituted during March and August of this year? More than likely, those brands lost some ground in brand equity and are probably facing a decline in brand awareness. And, as we all know, a decline in awareness is never good for sales.

But, in August, Nielsen and many other outlets cited an uptick in U.S. advertising, signaling to companies that the time had come to reinvigorate brand awareness. But as we face the “second wave” of COVID and brands return to tighter budgets, leaving limited funds available for advertising and especially for market research, a traditional Attitude & Usage study which would provide insights into their category and brand standing may not be in the cards for them. How do brands continue to keep a pulse on the marketplace, and where they stand vis a vis their competition? How do they determine the right balance of awareness and activation (promotional) strategies, given a limited budget for research? C+R has developed a solution to help brands stay ahead of the game. It’s an agile/DIY platform for Attitude & Usage studies for CPG brands called A+U NOW^®. 

A+U NOW was created to be more robust than other DIY platforms and specifically designed to meet the goals of a thorough attitude and usage study for CPG brands with the need to explore all the elements from a well-thought-out A&U but with speed, and a minimal investment. With A+U NOW®, brands will know where they stand in the marketplace in terms of awareness, consideration, consumption, perceptions, etc. 

It’s designed for CPG marketers who need answers but are facing time and budget constraints. Here’s a recorded demo of the A+U NOW platform, or we’re happy to talk to you if you feel A+U NOW is a right fit for you.