Brand Gap

When a brand is perceived differently than it intends, this is referred to as a Brand Gap. There is a disconnect between desire and reality. A gap exists between the two. For example, customers may have expectations of the brand through its communication that do not align with their actual experience. Former President Joachim Gauck described it this way: "Back then, we dreamed of paradise in the East, but we woke up in North Rhine-Westphalia." Brand gaps can be identified and narrowed through regular market research – for example, by adjusting the customer journey or through realistic image communication that prevents distorted perceptions.