Glossary
Key terms within brand, communication and strategy that you may encounter in brandvju's analyses and recommendations.
A/B test
A method where two versions of e.g. an ad, a headline or a landing page are shown to different user groups to measure which performs best.
Ad hoc analysisbrandvju concept
A single brand analysis purchased without a subscription, at DKK 699. It provides the same full 15-section analysis, but not ongoing access to recommendations and assistants. Subscribers do not see the ad hoc option.
Advocacy
When existing customers actively recommend a brand to others. It is the strongest and least expensive form of marketing, and advocacy is the ultimate goal in a customer's journey.
AIDA
A classic advertising model in four steps: attention, interest, desire and action. Describes the journey a message should take the recipient through, from first glance to purchase or click.
Analysis sectionbrandvju concept
One of the 15 sections that make up a brand analysis. Section 0 describes the source basis, sections 1 to 13 each measure a brand dimension with its own score, and section 14 gathers the conclusion into a strategic summary.
Analysis versionbrandvju concept
A single completed analysis of a brand, saved with date and score. Each new run becomes a new version, so you can place two versions against each other in the comparison and follow the movement in the development view.
Antagonist
The opponent or problem a brand defines itself against in its narrative. A brand without an antagonist has no tension in its story and no clear reason to exist.
Archetype
A fundamental personality type a brand expresses in its communication and identity. There are 12 classic archetypes (e.g. The Hero, The Sage, The Creator). The archetype governs tone, imagery and messaging, consciously or unconsciously.
Archetype Finderbrandvju concept
The first of brandvju's three assistants. Here you decide which of the 12 brand archetypes you want to stand for. The choice sets the direction for the Tone-of-Voice Finder and the Story Finder.
Archetypal congruence
The degree to which a brand's visual and linguistic tools support the chosen archetype. Low congruence means that e.g. the design sends one signal and the language another.
Asset distinctiveness
The degree to which a brand asset (logo, colour, sound, etc.) is unique and recognisable compared to competitors in the category.
Awareness
The degree to which the target audience knows a brand exists. Typically distinguished between unaided awareness (spontaneous) and aided awareness (when prompted).
B2B
Business-to-Business. Communication and sales directed at companies and professional buyers rather than private consumers.
B2C
Business-to-Consumer. Communication and sales directed at private consumers.
Blue Ocean Strategy
W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne's strategy model from 2005. It introduced the Strategy Canvas and argues that a brand gains most by seeking unoccupied market space rather than competing on the same parameters as everyone else.
Brand asset
A concrete, recognisable element belonging to the brand: logo, colour, typography, sound, tagline or consistent visual style. Strong brand assets can be identified without the logo being visible.
Brand equity
The total value a brand adds to a product or company beyond purely functional attributes. Strong brand equity enables premium pricing and increased loyalty.
Brand essence
The shortest, most precise articulation of what a brand fundamentally is and stands for. It is not a tagline, but the inner truth behind all communication.
Brand governance
The internal rules, processes and approval flows that ensure a brand is used consistently across the organisation. Lack of governance is a frequent cause of brand inconsistency.
Brand Identity Prism
A model describing a brand's identity across six dimensions: Physique, Personality, Culture, Relationship, Reflection and Self-image. Developed by Jean-Noël Kapferer.
Brand tracking
Continuous measurement of the brand's position and health over time and against competitors. Typically measured on awareness, preference, credibility and association strength.
Brand architecture
The structure of how a brand's products, services and sub-brands are organised and relate to each other and to the parent brand.
BrandCheckbrandvju concept
brandvju's tool for assessing one specific piece of material against the brand identity. It can be a text, a link, an image, a PDF or a Word document. You get two scores: consistency and differentiation, each with concrete evidence.
Brand harmonybrandvju concept
Section 13 of the analysis. Measures the degree to which the brand's identity elements work in the same direction across channels and touchpoints. High brand harmony means a consistent experience wherever the brand is encountered. Set against the brand index, it produces the harmony gap.
Brand indexbrandvju concept
The overall score from 0 to 100 that brandvju gives a brand. It is calculated as the average of the selected strength fields across the analysis sections and forms section 14, the strategic summary.
Brand clarity
The degree to which it is clear what the brand is, what it offers and whom it addresses, both internally and externally.
Brand consistency
The degree to which the brand communicates uniformly over time and across channels. Inconsistency weakens recognition and credibility.
BrandRosebrandvju concept
brandvju's visual overview of an analysis. A polar diagram where each of the 12 measured sections gets its own petal, grouped into four dimensions. The shape shows immediately where the brand is strong, and where it is lopsided.
Brand strategy
The overarching strategic choice of what the brand should stand for, whom it addresses and how it differentiates itself from competitors.
Brand values
The core values a brand communicates and (ideally) lives up to in practice. Values are only credible when documented through actual behaviour and not merely words.
BrandWriterbrandvju concept
brandvju's writing assistant. It writes in the brand's voice in two ways: it optimizes a text you already have, starting from the weaknesses a BrandCheck found, or it writes new content from scratch based on a short brief. You choose whether the text is written towards your current or desired profile. BrandWriter works with text only and does not translate.
Buyer journey
The journey a potential buyer goes through from first awareness of a brand to completing a purchase. See also: Customer journey.
Caregiver
One of the 12 brand archetypes. Symbolises care, protection and service to others. Typical of healthcare, care and insurance brands.
Category codes
The visual and linguistic conventions that dominate a category, and that many brands follow without thinking. Following category codes makes a brand recognisable in the category; breaking them can create differentiation.
Category Entry Point (CEP)
A specific mental situation or need state that activates the category for a potential buyer. E.g. "I need to find a new job" is a CEP for a recruitment agency. The more relevant CEPs a brand owns, the greater its mental availability.
Claim
A central communicative assertion a brand makes about itself or its offering. E.g. "We always deliver on time."
Co-creation
When a brand actively involves customers, users or partners in the development of products, content or communication. Strengthens ownership and engagement.
Connotation / Denotation
Denotation is the literal meaning of a sign or word. Connotation is the associations and emotional overtones it evokes. In semiotics, connotation is often more important than denotation.
Consideration
The consideration phase, when a potential buyer actively considers a brand as a possible solution. A brand achieving high consideration has moved beyond awareness and is on the mental shortlist.
Creator
One of the 12 brand archetypes. Symbolises the urge to create, craft and originality. Typical of design, tool and creativity brands.
Creditsbrandvju concept
The unit of consumption brandvju measures work in. All analyses, recommendations and assistant runs draw on your monthly credit pool, which resets on the 1st of the month. For normal business use the pool is ample.
CRM
Customer Relationship Management. Systems and processes for managing and developing relationships with existing and potential customers.
CSR
Corporate Social Responsibility. The company's responsibility towards society, the environment and stakeholders beyond profit maximisation. In brand terms, it is about CSR activities being authentic and communicated credibly.
Culture (Brand Identity Prism)
One of the six dimensions of the Brand Identity Prism. Describes the values and norms that underpin the brand: its inner culture and worldview.
Customer journey
The complete experience a customer has with a brand, from first contact to after the purchase. Includes all touchpoints and emotional states along the way.
D2C / DTC
Direct-to-Consumer. Brands that sell directly to the end user without intermediaries, typically via their own webshop or store. Provides a closer relationship with the customer and better data insights.
Design system
A comprehensive set of design rules, components and guidelines that ensure visual consistency across digital and physical platforms.
Differentiation
The degree to which a brand distinguishes itself meaningfully from its competitors on parameters relevant to the target audience. Low differentiation = risk of category parity.
Differentiation (BrandCheck)brandvju concept
The other of BrandCheck's two axes. Measures how much the material makes the brand stand out from its category rather than looking like any other player. For press coverage it is about whether the coverage draws a sharp picture of this particular brand, or could just as well be about anyone in the industry.
Distinctive assets
The specific brand assets so recognisable and unique that they can activate the brand in consumers' minds even without the logo. Examples include McDonald's golden arches and Coca-Cola's contour bottle.
DMU
Decision Making Unit. The complete group of people involved in a purchasing decision within a company. In B2B, there are typically several layers: technical users, finance and management.
Earned media
Exposure and coverage a brand achieves organically: press coverage, reviews, social sharing and Word-of-Mouth. It stands in contrast to paid or owned communication.
Elevator pitch
A short, precise presentation of a brand, product or idea, typically under 60 seconds. Used to test whether a brand's core message is sharp enough.
Emotional resonance
The degree to which a brand's communication evokes relevant emotions in the target audience, thereby creating preference beyond purely rational persuasion.
Employer brand
The image a company projects as an employer to current and potential employees. A strong employer brand attracts the right candidates and reduces churn.
One point, expanded
A tight variant of PREP where the whole text rests on a single point that is justified and expanded. Well suited to short formats where focus is everything.
Everyman
One of the 12 brand archetypes. Symbolises belonging, groundedness and community. Typical of brands that want to be "for everyone".
EVP
Employer Value Proposition. The concrete promise a company makes to its employees about what they receive in return for their work and commitment.
Explorer
One of the 12 brand archetypes. Symbolises freedom, discovery and authenticity. Typical of outdoor and travel brands.
Finder Suitebrandvju concept
The collective name for brandvju's three assistants: the Archetype Finder, the Tone-of-Voice Finder and the Story Finder. Where the analysis measures what the brand is today, the Finders establish what you want it to be.
Narrative structure
A structure where the text is told as a story and the customer is the hero, while the brand is the guide that helps. Creates engagement and makes the value relatable. Also called customer narrative.
Before-after-bridge
A copywriting structure: describe the situation as it is (before), paint the desired state (after), and show the path there (the bridge). Effective for making a benefit concrete.
Gap (as-is / to-be)
The distance between the brand as the analysis measures it today and the desired profile you have established in the assistants. The gap is the starting point for the most strategically relevant recommendations the system can give.
Go-to-Market
The overall strategy for how a product or brand is launched and introduced to the market, including target audience, channels, messaging and timing.
Governance
The internal rules, processes and approval flows that ensure a brand is used consistently across the organisation. Lack of governance is a frequent cause of brand inconsistency.
Group analysisbrandvju concept
A Finder run where you invite colleagues to answer individually and the system aggregates the responses. You see where you agree, and where you do not. Disagreement is often the most important realisation.
Harmony gapbrandvju concept
The difference between the brand index and brand harmony. A large positive gap reveals a brand that is strong in individual parts but not fully integrated. A small gap tells the story of a coherent brand.
Hero (narrative)
The central figure in a brand's story. In strong brand narratives, the customer is the hero, not the brand itself. The brand is the guide that helps the hero overcome the challenge.
Hero
One of the 12 brand archetypes. Symbolises courage, mastery and triumph over adversity. Typical of sports and performance brands.
Hofstede's cultural dimensions
An analytical framework for understanding cultural differences across countries, for example power distance, individualism and uncertainty avoidance. Relevant when analysing whether a brand communicates in a culturally appropriate way.
Impact/effort matrix
A 2×2 view that places all recommendations by expected impact and required effort. In brandvju the four quadrants are called Quick Wins, Strategic priorities, Secondary efforts and Deprioritise. The matrix answers where to begin.
Content typebrandvju concept
The category a piece of material belongs to, for example a LinkedIn post, an ad, an article, a product page or a newsletter. brandvju detects the type automatically and uses it to make the general recommendations more precise. You can correct it if it is wrong.
Influencer
A person with a large and engaged following who can influence the target audience's attitudes and behaviour. In brand terms, a distinction is made between mega, macro, micro and nano influencers based on follower count and niche relevance.
Innocent
One of the 12 brand archetypes. Symbolises purity, optimism and simplicity. Typical of natural and authentic brands.
Jester
One of the 12 brand archetypes. Symbolises humour, play and joy. Typical of entertainment and lifestyle brands.
Jobs-to-be-done
An approach that describes a product by the job the customer hires it to do, rather than the product's features. Shifts focus from what the product is to what the customer achieves. Associated with Clayton Christensen.
Channel executionbrandvju concept
Section 12 of the analysis. Measures how consistently the brand expresses itself across its digital channels: website, social media and other points of contact. Weakness here typically means the identity is formulated but not carried through.
Category parity
When a brand resembles its competitors so closely that it fails to stand out in the category. High category parity weakens differentiation and mental availability.
Core narrative
The foundational story a brand builds all its communication on: who the hero is, what the conflict consists of, and what the brand helps achieve. In brandvju it is formulated in the Story Finder.
Source basisbrandvju concept
The complete body of material a brand analysis is built on: website, social media, uploaded documents and press coverage. The breadth and quality of the source basis directly affects the reliability of the analysis.
Source inconsistencybrandvju concept
When the same information appears differently across sources, for example a different tone on the website versus LinkedIn. May stem from lack of governance, outdated material or deliberate segmentation.
Competitor analysis
A full brand analysis run on a competitor rather than on your own brand. brandvju uses it to find where the competitor is weak, unclear or absent, and translates the findings into recommendations about which positions you can occupy.
Competitor windowbrandvju concept
The tag brandvju places on recommendations that stem from a competitor's weakness. A competitor window is a position the competitor does not own credibly, and which therefore stands open to you.
Consistency (BrandCheck)brandvju concept
One of BrandCheck's two axes. Measures how strongly a piece of material expresses the brand's personality: archetype, tone, values and core narrative. For press coverage the score means something different, namely whether the outside world describes the brand the way the brand describes itself. A journalist's wording never counts as the brand's tone; only the brand's own quoted words do, and tone is therefore weighted lower.
Conventional structure
The expected, genre-specific layout for a text type, for example a job posting with role, responsibilities, requirements and deadline in the order the reader expects.
KPI
Key Performance Indicator. A measurable indicator used to assess whether a strategy or initiative is delivering the desired results.
List form
A structure where content is presented as a list of points rather than continuous prose. Makes an overview easy to scan but is poorly suited to argument.
Lover
One of the 12 brand archetypes. Symbolises passion, intimacy and aesthetics. Typical of luxury and beauty brands.
Magician
One of the 12 brand archetypes. Symbolises transformation, vision and making the impossible possible. Typical of technology and innovation brands.
Master brand
The overarching parent brand under which sub-brands and products are organised. A strong master brand lends credibility and recognition to the entire portfolio.
Material archivebrandvju concept
The brand's own material, added to brandvju and kept across analyses. It covers what a crawl cannot reach: social media posts, advertising, and physical brand manifestations such as shop fronts, signage, packaging and uniforms. The material is read once and then feeds the next analysis and BrandCheck. It is what turns the analysis into a full brand analysis rather than a purely online one.
Material typebrandvju concept
What a piece of material is, independent of its file format: social media, ad or campaign, physical material, or article and coverage. The type decides how the material should be read. An ad may well be single-minded, a shop front is judged mainly on visual expression, and an article is written by others and must therefore not be measured as the brand's own voice.
Memorability
A brand's ability to be remembered and to lodge itself in the target audience's consciousness. Depends on distinctive assets, consistent exposure and emotional relevance.
Mental availability
The degree to which a brand comes to mind when a potential buyer is in a relevant need situation. Built up over time through consistent activation of relevant CEPs. A concept from Byron Sharp's research.
Minto
The Minto principle. A communication structure where you start with the answer or conclusion and then support it with grouped, logically ordered arguments. Developed by Barbara Minto. Well suited when the reader wants the point first.
Audience alignmentbrandvju concept
Section 9 of the analysis. Measures how well the brand's communication and channel choices reach the audience the brand itself says it addresses. A low score typically means the brand is speaking to someone other than who it believes.
Narrative
The brand's overarching story: the structure of who the hero is, what the conflict is, and what the brand helps achieve. A strong narrative gives communication direction and coherence.
NPS
Net Promoter Score. A simple measure of customer loyalty based on the question "How likely are you to recommend us to others?" Scores from 0–10 are divided into Promoters, Passives and Detractors.
Observation first
A structure, often used in social posts, where the text opens with a sharp observation or claim that catches the reader before the point is unfolded.
Omnichannel
An approach where all channels, digital as well as physical, are integrated and create a coherent customer experience regardless of touchpoint.
Inverted pyramid
A journalistic structure where the most important information comes first, followed by details in descending order of importance. The reader can stop partway and still have the essentials. Standard in news and press releases.
On-brand
Whether a piece of material expresses the brand identity as defined. The question "is this on-brand?" is precisely what BrandCheck answers, and it concerns personality and differentiation, not logo and colour codes.
Outlaw
One of the 12 brand archetypes. Symbolises rebellion, freedom and disruption. Typical of brands that challenge the established order.
Paid media
Paid exposure: ads, sponsored content, SEM and display advertising. It stands in contrast to earned (organic) and owned (own channels) media.
Persona
A fictional, detailed description of a typical representative of a target audience, with name, role, needs, frustrations and behaviour. Used to make abstract segments concrete and actionable.
Personality (Brand Identity Prism)
One of the six dimensions of the Brand Identity Prism. Describes the human personality traits the brand expresses, as if it were a person.
Physique (Brand Identity Prism)
One of the six dimensions of the Brand Identity Prism. Describes the physical and sensory characteristics: colours, shape, sound, taste and material.
Positioning
The place a brand seeks to occupy in the target audience's mind relative to competitors. Sharp positioning is clear, relevant, credible and differentiating.
Positioning map
A visual representation of a brand's position relative to competitors on two relevant parameters. Used to identify white space and the competitive landscape.
PREP
A four-step argument structure: point, reason, example, point again. It keeps a short piece focused on a single point and closes where it began.
Press coveragebrandvju concept
Coverage of the brand written by others, typically journalists. Distinct from a press release, which the brand writes itself. The distinction matters in brandvju: coverage is evidence of how the brand is perceived from outside, not of how it expresses itself, and its wording must therefore never be read as the brand's tone of voice.
Priority levelbrandvju concept
The importance brandvju assigns to a recommendation: Critical, Important or Consider. The level says something about what and when, while the impact/effort matrix answers where to begin. The prioritisation is not static.
Purpose
The overarching reason a brand exists beyond profit: why the company exists, and what positive change it seeks to contribute. Only credible when grounded in actual behaviour.
Purpose-washing
When a brand communicates a purpose it does not live up to in practice. Weakens credibility and can damage reputation.
Quick Wins
The quadrant in the impact/effort matrix with high impact and low effort. These are the recommendations that give the most for the work, and they should typically be completed first regardless of priority level.
Rebranding
A strategic change of a brand's identity. It can range from a new logo to a complete repositioning of what the brand stands for.
Reflection (Brand Identity Prism)
One of the six dimensions of the Brand Identity Prism. Describes the image of the target audience the brand mirrors back: who does the brand portray its customer as?
Relationship (Brand Identity Prism)
One of the six dimensions of the Brand Identity Prism. Describes the relationship the brand seeks to establish with its audience: adviser, partner or authority.
Retention
The ability to retain existing customers over time. High retention is typically less costly than acquiring new customers and is a sign of a strong brand and product.
ROI
Return on Investment. The return on an investment relative to its cost. In brand terms, ROI is often harder to measure directly than in campaign communication.
Ruler
One of the 12 brand archetypes. Symbolises authority, control and prestige. Typical of premium and luxury brands.
Sage
One of the 12 brand archetypes. Symbolises knowledge, insight and truth. Typical of advisory and educational brands.
Salience
Mental prominence, that is, the degree to which a brand spontaneously comes to mind for the target audience in a relevant need situation. Closely related to mental availability.
Score levelbrandvju concept
The band a score from 0 to 100 falls into. brandvju uses five: Not present (0 to 19), Unrealised (20 to 39), Functional (40 to 59), Strong (60 to 79) and Exceptional (80 to 100). The same scale applies everywhere in the tool.
SCQA
A narrative structure for strategic communication: situation, complication, question and answer. brandvju builds the analysis's strategic summary on it, so the conclusion reads as an argument rather than a list.
Segment
A defined part of a market or target audience with shared characteristics, for example demographics, behaviour or needs. Segmentation makes communication more precise and relevant.
Self-image (Brand Identity Prism)
One of the six dimensions of the Brand Identity Prism. Describes the self-concept the brand offers the target audience: what professional or personal identity does the brand support?
Semiotics
The study of signs and meaning. In brand terms, it is about what colours, shapes, images and words signal, consciously as well as unconsciously. A brand always sends semiotic signals; the question is whether they are the right ones.
SEO
Search Engine Optimization. The work of optimising content and technical setup so a brand ranks highly in organic search results.
Sonic branding
The use of sound and music as a strategic brand asset, from jingles and sonic logos to the overall audio experience across channels.
STAR
A four-step narrative structure: situation, task, action and result. Used for case studies and references where a concrete effort and a measurable result need to come through.
Story Finderbrandvju concept
The third of brandvju's assistants. It formulates a draft of your core narrative based on the choices you made in the Archetype Finder and the Tone-of-Voice Finder.
Strategic durability
The degree to which a brand position or strategy is robust over time. It is not easily copied by competitors and not dependent on short-lived trends.
Strategic shiftbrandvju concept
The tag brandvju places on recommendations intended to close the gap between the brand's current profile and the desired profile you have established in the assistants.
Strategy Canvas
The analytical tool from Blue Ocean Strategy. It places brands against each other across competitive parameters and reveals where the market is overcrowded, and where space stands open. brandvju's section-by-section score comparison is in practice a Strategy Canvas at brand level.
Style guide
A document specifying the rules for a brand's visual and linguistic expression: colours, typography, imagery, tone and logo usage.
Sub-brand
A brand under a master brand with its own identity, but still connected to the parent brand. Used to address specific segments or product categories.
Supplementary recommendationsbrandvju concept
A new set of recommendations added on top of an existing set rather than replacing it. Used when a new factor arises, for example a competitor analysis or a newly established desired profile. The existing recommendations and their status are preserved.
Switching costs
The functional, emotional or financial costs associated with switching from one brand or product to another. High switching costs increase customer loyalty.
Tagline
A short, fixed phrase that summarises the brand's core message or promise. E.g. "Just Do It" (Nike) or "Think Different" (Apple).
Thought leadership
Positioning as an expert and opinion former in a field, typically through articles, opinion pieces, talks and analyses that contribute new insights to the market.
Tone of Voice (ToV)
The communicative personality a brand expresses in its language: formal or informal, serious or humorous, simple or complex. Strong ToV is consistent and recognisable across all channels.
Tone-of-Voice Finderbrandvju concept
The second of brandvju's assistants. Here you make five concrete linguistic choices that establish how the brand should sound. The choices build on the archetype you selected in the Archetype Finder.
Touchpoint
Any place or situation where a person encounters a brand: website, ad, packaging, customer service, social media or storefront.
Step by step
A structure that guides the reader through a process in numbered or clearly separated steps. Well suited to guides and instructions where the order matters.
Credibility
The degree to which a brand's promises and communication are perceived as genuine and substantiated. Low credibility typically arises when communication and behaviour do not align.
UGC
User-Generated Content. Content created by users and customers, for example reviews, images and videos, shared organically and strengthening the brand's authenticity.
Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
The specific benefit or characteristic that distinguishes an offering from competitors, and that is relevant and credible to the target audience.
UX / UI
User Experience (UX) is the overall experience a user has with a product or service. User Interface (UI) is the concrete visual and interactive surface. Strong UX and UI support the brand experience on digital platforms.
Value proposition
The complete promise a brand or product makes to its target audience: what they get, why it is better than the alternative, and what it costs them.
White space
A positioning gap in the market that no competitor currently owns. A brand that finds a relevant white space can differentiate itself without direct confrontation.
Whitepaper
An in-depth document that addresses a professional topic thoroughly. Typically used for thought leadership and B2B lead generation.
Willingness to pay
The target audience's readiness to pay a specific price for a product or service. Strong brands can typically increase willingness to pay through emotional and functional value.
Word-of-Mouth
Verbal recommendations and mentions. It is the most credible form of marketing, and a brand with strong Word-of-Mouth has customers who are active advocates.
Desired brand profilebrandvju concept
The profile you establish yourselves in the assistants and that the brand should move towards. It is only saved when you click "Set as desired", and is then used as the yardstick in BrandCheck, BrandWriter and in calculating the gap to the analysis.