The brief
Gateway Qualifications is a not-for-profit awarding organisation. It offers a wide range of courses and qualifications, emphasising widening participation in education and training – particularly for those who have benefited least from existing provision.
Gateway Qualifications wanted to conduct an annual brand tracking survey to assess awareness, perception and association with key attributes of their brand. As part of this survey, they particularly wanted to measure brand loyalty and satisfaction, as well as benchmarking their brand against competitors.
The approach
We designed a brand tracking project that explored trends via a 36-question online survey, developed in close collaboration with Gateway Qualifications. The survey retained key questions from earlier brand tracking, allowing us to compare to previous years. Additional questions were added to further explore brand loyalty and satisfaction, the value of various attributes and how strongly they were associated with the organisation and its key competitors.
The survey was distributed to both customers and non-customers working in teaching, administrative or management roles in institutions that deliver the qualification types offered by Gateway Qualifications. Shift achieved a sample of 202 responses, a significant increase from previous years.
The value
We produced a report detailing key survey findings, including comparisons to the previous brand tracking outcomes from 2023. A Net Promotor Score was calculated, analysing why participants were promotors, passives or detractors. We also provided brand perception mapping, using correspondence analysis – helping establish key competitors, perceptions of these competitors, and how Gateway Qualifications compares.
The findings ultimately helped determine Gateway Qualifications’ key areas of strength and weakness compared to key competitors. Our recommendations aimed to help Gateway Qualifications increase brand visibility and loyalty in this highly competitive market.
