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Section 05

Brand assets and recognition

David Aaker – Brand Equity Model, 1991

Brand assets are the visual, verbal and sensory elements that make a brand recognisable – regardless of whether the logo is visible. A brand that is only recognisable with its logo is vulnerable.

Aaker's brand equity model established brand recognition as a central strategic resource. This is followed up by the newer distinctive assets tradition from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute that links assets directly to mental availability. A particular focus is the gap between digital and physical brand implementation – a frequent source of brand friction that weakens credibility and recognition. brandvju assesses whether assets constitute a strategic system or are merely isolated elements without internal logic.

What brandvju assesses

Visual assets – digital
Logo, colours, typography, image style, social media formats and campaign elements.
Visual assets – physical
Packaging, signage, uniforms, printed material. Only when shared as input.
Verbal assets
Taglines, claims, fixed formulations, key concepts and CTA structure.
Sensory assets
Audio brand, jingles, motion design. Only when audio/video input is shared.

What the analysis is based on – and what it points towards

brandvju primarily analyses digitally accessible material. Physical manifestations such as shop fronts, signage, packaging, vehicle wraps and uniforms cannot be fetched automatically, and are therefore only included if you add them to the material archive yourself. This is the section that changes most when you do, because sensory recognition is hard to read from a website alone. Actual recognition among the audience requires external consumer research.

How to read the score – scale and business model

Read this score in light of your scale and business model. Some strengths require reach or volume that larger brands simply have more of – broad mental availability, a formalised employer brand, many channels. A low score here is not necessarily a weakness; it may reflect your size or model rather than a lack of effort. Your recommendations take this into account and only suggest what you can meaningfully move.