Brand consideration
In short
Brand consideration is the point at which a buyer, aware of your brand, treats it as a real option and includes it on the list of vendors they would evaluate. It sits between awareness and purchase intent.
For B2B teams it answers a practical question: when a need appears, does your company make the shortlist? Awareness alone does not guarantee that. See brand awareness and brand affinity for the neighboring stages.
What moves buyers into consideration
- Relevance: Content that speaks to their specific problem.
- Credibility: Customer stories, reviews, and analyst or peer mentions.
- Clear positioning: A simple answer to "who is this for and why?"
- Presence: Showing up repeatedly where they research.
How to measure it
Ask target buyers in surveys which vendors they would consider for a given need. Track how often you appear on shortlists in sales conversations and in "how did you hear about us" answers. Branded search and demo requests from target accounts also give hints.
Example
Say a company surveys buyers in its target market and learns that many know its name but few would shortlist it, because they think it serves only large enterprises. The team adds mid-market customer stories and clearer messaging to address that.
How to improve it
Publish proof from customers similar to your target buyers.
Make pricing, fit, and use cases easy to find.
Stay visible with consistent content and ads aimed at target accounts.
Fix perception gaps found in surveys or lost-deal reviews.
Common mistakes
- Equating awareness with consideration: Being known is not the same as being shortlisted.
- Generic messaging: Buyers cannot tell why you fit them.
- No measurement: Without asking buyers, gaps stay hidden.
Brand consideration FAQs
What is brand consideration?
Brand consideration is the stage at which a buyer who knows your brand treats it as a viable option and includes it in the set of vendors they would evaluate. It follows awareness and comes before purchase intent.
What is the difference between brand awareness and brand consideration?
Awareness means people know your brand exists. Consideration means they would include it when evaluating options. Many companies are known but not considered, often because of unclear positioning or missing proof.
How do you measure brand consideration?
Survey target buyers about which vendors they would consider, and track shortlist appearances in sales conversations, branded search, and demo requests from target accounts. Compare results over time and against alternatives.
How can B2B companies increase brand consideration?
Publish proof from similar customers, clarify positioning, make fit and pricing easy to find, stay visible where buyers research, and fix perception gaps revealed by surveys or lost deals.
