Brand association combines the thoughts, feelings, and impressions consumers have about a brand, its products and services. The more associations a brand calls to mind, the more consumers are likely to remember that brand. The more positive associations a brand calls to mind, the more consumers are likely to choose that brand.
To stay “top of mind”, a brand needs positive associations across every touchpoint. The Edelman Trust Barometer reports that 88% of consumers say that trust is as important as price and quality when choosing a brand. And over 80% of consumers look for familiar brands first, according to an Adobe article.
These statistics demonstrate the importance of creating strong, positive brand associations. The issues for organizations are (1) How to create brand associations, and (2) How to measure the impact of each brand association on consumer behavior.
We next examine how brand association arises, and how to listen to the wants and needs of consumers.
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Brand association has many sources, ranging from the product or service itself to the values and culture of the company:
1. Product associations: These associations are based on the qualities of the product or service, including design, functionality, and performance. Strong associations form when consumers associate specific attributes to the brand, as in Apple’s sleek design choices.
2. Brand image: Often called the look and feel – the ways a brand appears in the world via logos, typeface, colors, and the like. It also includes the way the brand expresses itself in words, sounds, pictures, and more. A consistent brand image is how its target audience remembers a brand: the first thing that comes to mind about a brand.
3. Brand experience: Brand experience reflects the total connection between brands and consumers. In addition to the brand image, user experience is a major part of brand experience. In the AI age, digital user experience on websites, media channels, and how AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini describe a product or service have all become important initial brand experiences. Then comes the actual use of the product or service by the user or purchaser that defines the brand experience beyond features and price, leading to emotional connections (positive or negative) with a brand.
4. Brand personality: Brand personality is the expression of human traits that help brands connect with their target audience. Think of the brand as a person and how it will behave and express itself. Brands may be sincere, exciting, sophisticated, competent, rugged, or a combination of several traits.
5. Brand values: Brand values are the brand’s authentic vision, values, and purpose beyond making a profit. Values and purpose include what a brand stands for, the company’s belief, reputation, culture, and even workplace environment. (If a product is made by child labor in a third world country, it becomes repulsive to many consumers.)
Brand association is an ongoing, dynamic process. Brands can’t afford to rest on their laurels, or they risk being left behind in public perception. A prime example is Tesla, once known for being an innovative startup in the tradition-bound auto industry. Now it’s often associated with the controversial political views of Elon Musk, and their Cybertruck that had a 48% decline in sales between 2024 and 2025.
Brands must be able to track brand association to respond to their target audience’s wants and needs. Brand association has traditionally been measured through surveys and ratings.
These typically involve asking consumers to passively respond to a set of pre-written questions. Examples include rating statements with answers ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree” to questions like, “Brand X is known for innovative products.” Or, “Brand X provides excellent customer service.”
But that traditional approach is fundamentally flawed, according to the authors of a June 2026 Harvard Business Review article, New Research on How Brand Associations Drive Customer Spending. The authors write that what really matters are what they call “authentic associations.”
The HBR authors report that traditional consumer surveys fail to correlate with market share. Put another way, positive survey responses don’t translate into more sales. “This suggests that what consumers spontaneously think about a brand matters more than what they agree with on a rating scale.”
What are authentic brand associations? “Authentic associations are thoughts consumers mention without prompting,” write the HBR authors. Rather than asking consumers to judge a set of pre-written statements about a brand, the focus should be on the language consumers naturally use.
These authentic associations can be gathered through open-ended questions and “social listening.”
Open-ended questions can be in the form, “What comes to mind when you think about Brand X?” Authentic associations let consumers use their own words. This method often requires face-to-face interviews.
Another way to gather authentic associations is through “social listening,” or tracking the language consumers use in online reviews, comments, and social media posts. By keeping tabs on what consumers are really saying about a brand, leaders have access to a wealth of up to date information on brand sentiment.
Surplus value is the dollar amount consumers place on a brand, when asked to make a trade. According to the HBR authors, “the price at which customers are willing to give up access [to a brand] reveals the dollar value they place on the brand.”
Surplus value can work with authentic brand associations to predict spending behavior, according to the authors. Consumers who were unwilling to give up access to a particular brand – across offers ranging from $1 to $400 – “spent roughly twice as much in the following months (on that brand) as those who would accept compensation.”
In addition, the authors found that consumers who recalled more positive brand associations increased their spending on that brand. Each additional positive association correlated with an 18% increase in spending on the brand. By contrast, each additional negative association correlated with a 12% decrease in spending.
Combining authentic associations and surplus value. Authentic brand associations and surplus value play different roles in the determination of consumer sentiment. Authentic brand associations reveal why they value the brand. Surplus value reveals the dollar value consumers place on a brand.
This is a quantitative way of measuring brand loyalty as discussed in one of our earlier articles.
Combining the two measures lets companies identify the associations that are most helpful in strengthening the brand. The associations from different users of the same brand will be different, not one-size-fits-all. That means brands should track consumer responses over time for best results.
The good news is that, when given the chance, consumers will say exactly what they like and dislike about a brand in their own words. They will also say how much a brand is worth to them. Brands that listen and respond will improve their value to consumers, as well as their market share and revenue.
Building brand association is critical for a brand to stay top of mind and meet the expectations of your target audience. If you would like to learn more, please contact us.
Joanne Z. Tan is a global brand strategist, thought leadership coach, and founder of 10 Plus Brand, Inc. and its subsidiary AIXD.world. She advises executives, founders, and organizations on building influential, differentiated brands that drive visibility, credibility, and revenue growth. Her work integrates strategic positioning, AI-era brand architecture, and executive thought leadership to help leaders become recognized authorities in their industries.
AIXD (AI Experience Design) is a global platform and community focused on advancing responsible, human-centered artificial intelligence. It brings together leaders, technologists, strategists, and innovators to explore how AI can be designed, implemented, and governed to enhance human experience and long-term business value. Through thought leadership, collaboration, and strategic dialogue, AIXD aims to shape the future of AI–human symbiosis with impact, innovation, and integrity.
© Joanne Z. Tan, 2026. All rights reserved.
