Data collection and analysis have been identified as the key that unlocks valuable insights into customer behaviours, preferences, and trends.

According to research analysts, ethical data collection, coupled with its thoughtful utilization can contribute significantly to building a positive brand image and cultivating strong customer’s loyalty.

Research experts believe that data collection is not just a technical skill, but also a critical tool that enhances brand reputation and customer loyalty. By gathering and analyzing relevant information about customers, competitors, and market trends, Marketers can create more value for their audience, differentiate their brands from rivals, and foster long-term relationships with clients.

In his view, Victor Onofomi, a Research Manager at Pierrine Consulting submitted that there are numerous ways by which data can be used to understand customer’s sentiment and build a brand’s image.

One effective approach according to him, is through sentiment analysis, which involves analyzing text data from sources such as social media, customer reviews, and surveys to determine whether sentiments expressed are positive, negative, or neutral towards the brand.

He said: “Data from customer feedback mechanisms like online reviews, ratings, and customer service interactions provide valuable insights into consumer sentiment. By aggregating and analyzing this data, marketers can gain a comprehensive understanding of how customers perceive the brand, enabling them to identify areas for improvement and tailor marketing strategies to address specific sentiment-related issues.”

The research experts further posited that sentiment analysis can help monitor the effectiveness of image reshaping efforts over time, allowing marketers to track changes in customer sentiment and adjust their strategies accordingly.

Also giving her professional perspective, Mrs Kemi Osoba, Lead Consultant and Managing Partner at Camille Market Insight emphasized the need for customer sentiment’s study to be conducted and this can be done qualitatively, quantitatively or through face -to-face interview, depending on the methodology to be used.

“I have seen customers call out a brand on social media because they’re dissatisfied with that brand and if the brand owner love the brand, he will listen to what that customer is saying and try to address it. A customer sentiment study will help you to identify the need of customers and help you tailor your product towards that need. If they have an unmet need, this will help you identify that need and know what product to tailor towards this particular audience. It will help you to detect the emotion of your customer.

“What are the feelings of customers towards your brands? Whenever they hear your brand’s name, is their emotion positive or negative? Do they feel sad about it? This study will help you unravel the question and it will also help you to address these early enough. Some people have apathy towards some brand probably because of their past experience. So this kind of study will help you unravel it and know what to do early enough for the improvement of your brand and will assist you in crafting a positive brand’s image,” Mrs. Osoba stated.

Similarly, apart from using data to analyze customer’s sentiment, Industry report shows that any marketer who demonstrates a caring attitude towards the opinions and needs of customers can also build trust and loyalty with them, increase their retention, referral rates and consequently craft a positive brand’s image.