What is brand tracking software
Brand tracking software automates how organizations measure awareness, consideration, preference, sentiment, and other key brand health metrics. It’s essential for marketing and insights teams to understand how perceptions shift across markets, channels, and time. Two approaches dominate in the brand tracking space:
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Survey-based platforms that collect representative data to trend key metrics over time, each answering different questions about brand performance and drivers of change.
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Monitoring-based systems that capture public conversation across social, news, forums, and broadcast,
In 2026, automation for advanced insights and real-time benchmarking are table stakes for either of these approaches, as brands demand faster decisions across more touchpoints and geographical areas. The right brand tracking software will help teams automate their data collection and analysis so they can spend more time on implementing their findings for brand growth.
Below, we'll explore different brand tracking software for varying business needs.
Table of Contents
• Key Criteria for Selecting Brand Tracking Software• quantilope: AI-powered tracking for effective brand growth
• Talkwalker: Enterprise social listening
• Meltwater: Media and social intelligence
• Sprout Social: Social media management and monitoring
• Awario: Affordable brand monitoring
• Brand24: Mid-market social listening
• YouScan: Visual-first brand monitoring
• Quid (formerly NetBase Quid): Contextual market intelligence
• Google Trends: Free search interest tracking
• Pollfish: On-demand DIY brand tracking
• Mention: Social monitoring for small to mid-size teams
• Comparing features and capabilities of brand tracking software
• How to choose the right brand tracking software for multi-market campaigns
• Best practices for implementing brand tracking systems
• Frequently Asked Questions
Key criteria for selecting brand tracking software
Selecting the right platform requires balancing a few key considerations: the source of brand insights, the speed at which you'll get them, and how you can integrate the tracking platform with other business solutions.
Brand monitoring tools excel at real-time alerts and share of voice, while survey-based trackers provide statistically robust, representative metrics you can tie to outcomes. Enterprise vendors typically offer APIs, customizable dashboards, and BI integrations for centralized reporting — key for scaling organizations with an existing tech stack.
Consider this checklist when evaluating your brand tracking software options:
- Source: social, news, forums, customer reviews, broadcast, first-party surveys, global language support.
- Analytics: advanced methodologies, sentiment analysis, topic clustering, and for visual platforms — logo or object recognition.
- Data access: real-time insights vs. hourly/daily updates, historical depth for trend analysis.
- Dashboards and visualizations: customizable charting, and filters by market, audience, or campaign.
- Benchmarking: competitive landscaping, comparison charts, industry/category indices.
- Services and onboarding: training, strategic consulting, playbooks, how-to guides.
- Pricing structure: subscription, usage/mention-based, pay-per-response (surveys), or custom enterprise contracts.
quantilope combines automation, advanced research methods, and consulting expertise for customizable brand tracking at the speed businesses need to move. The platform automates complex methodologies like MaxDiff, Conjoint, A/B tests, and Implicit Association Tests, so research and insights teams can quantify drivers of brand choice, validate creative assets, and detect real-time shifts in Mental Availability within hours — not weeks. Always-on dashboards support real-time benchmarking, cross-market comparisons, and audience filtering (i.e., viewing a dashboard's insights only among Gen Z or female respondents). quantilope’s integrated AI Research Partner, quinn, offers strategic guidance, inspiration, and task execution throughout the entire research process, leaving teams with more time to focus on the outcomes.
Aside from traditional brand tracking (tracking awareness, consideration, and usage), quantilope also offers a tracking solution based on the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute's Better Brand Health approach. This approach includes Mental Availability and Mental Advantage tracking, letting brands know what's bringing consumers to their category, and which brands in their category perform better or worse than expected.
Explore quantilope’s brand tracking solution or Better Brand Health Tracking approach.
quantilope offers three plans, starting at $22k: Business for teams starting their automated growth journey, Pro for teams that want to accelerate their brand growth, and Enterprise for teams seeking the most advanced consumer intelligence at scale.
Top differentiators:
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Largest suite of automated advanced research methods
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Real-time access to insights (and automated real-time charting with stat testing)
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Fully customizable library of survey templates for specific solutions
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Integrated AI Research Partner, quinn, for always-on guidance and support
Talkwalker: Enterprise social listening
Talkwalker (acquired by Hootsuite in 2024)utilizes AI to monitor and analyze conversations across social media, news sites, blogs, and even broadcast channels in real-time. By leveraging its proprietary Blue Silk™ AI, the platform translates billions of data points into actionable insights regarding brand sentiment, emerging trends, and competitive benchmarking. Because the tool is highly customizable to global enterprise needs, pricing is generally based on custom quotes based on their available plans: Listen (foundational monitoring), Analyze (competitive benchmarking and custom dashboards), and Business (for scaling organizations).
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Meltwater: Media and social intelligence
Meltwater is a media intelligence and social listening suite that empowers PR and marketing teams to track brand sentiment and news coverage across a vast global database. By utilizing its "Mira" AI, the platform cuts through the noise of millions of sources — including print, broadcast, and social — to deliver real-time alerts and competitive benchmarking. To ensure the solution matches specific organizational needs, pricing generally scales across their three service levels: Essentials for core monitoring, Suite for integrated social and media tools, and Enterprise for global scale and premium services. Their pricing typically requires an an annual commitment, regardless of package tier.
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Sprout Social: Social media management and monitoring
Sprout Social is an all-in-one social media management platform that helps brands extract actionable insights from their social data while streamlining engagement and publishing across multiple channels. By unifying scheduling, social listening, and AI-powered analytics into a single dashboard, it allows teams to move beyond vanity metrics and focus on the real impact of their social strategy. As of 2026, brands can choose from four distinct Sprout Social tiers: Standard ($199/user/month) for essential management of up to 5 profiles, Professional ($299/user/month) for unlimited profiles and competitive reporting, Advanced ($399/user/month) for automated workflows and sentiment analysis, and Enterprise (custom pricing) for specialized large-scale needs.
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Awario: Affordable brand monitoring
Awario is a budget-friendly brand monitoring and social listening tool designed to help small businesses and agencies track brand mentions across the web and social media in real-time. By crawling over 13 billion web pages daily, it functions like a high-powered "Google Alerts," offering specialized features like Boolean search for precision and a "Leads" module to identify social selling opportunities. Awario offers three clear-cut subscription levels: Starter ($49/month or $29/mo billed annually) for individual monitoring of up to 3 topics, Pro ($149/month or $89/mo billed annually) for growing agencies needing data exports and more topics (up to 15), and Enterprise ($399/month or $249/mo billed annually) which provides white-label reports and API access for larger scale operations.
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Brand24: Mid-market social listening
Brand24 is an AI-driven social listening tool that tracks mentions across 25 million online sources, including social media, news, blogs, and podcasts, to give brands a real-time pulse on their digital brand reputation. By utilizing proprietary metrics like the "Presence Score" and advanced sentiment analysis, the platform helps teams move beyond simple keyword tracking to understand the actual emotional impact and reach of online conversations. As of 2026, the service is structured into five accessible tiers: Individual ($199/month) for small-scale monitoring, Team ($299/month) for startups needing unlimited users and faster updates, Pro ($399/month) for growing agencies requiring real-time updates and AI insights, Business ($599/month) for scaling enterprises with high mention volumes, and Enterprise (starting at $1,499/month) for industry leaders needing custom data limits and dedicated consulting.
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YouScan: Visual-first brand monitoring
YouScan is an AI-powered social listening platform that specializes in "Visual Insights," using advanced computer vision to detect brand logos, objects, and even the "mood" of a scene within images and videos where your brand might not be tagged by name. By uncovering these hidden visual mentions it provides a 360-degree view of how consumers interact with your products in real-world settings. The brand monitoring service is primarily structured into two main tiers: Starter ($499/month), which covers essential text-based monitoring and AI-powered trend detection for up to 3 topics, and Unlimited (custom pricing), which unlocks the full suite of visual and audience analytics, API access, and other scalable analytics.
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Quid (formerly NetBase Quid): Contextual market intelligence
Quid (rebranded from NetBase Quid in 2023 to simplify its identity) is a consumer and market intelligence platform that uses AI agents to bridge the gap between social listening and data science. By deploying their AI Agents across a massive dataset of social posts, news, patents, and reviews, the platform goes beyond simple brand monitoring to predict market shifts and automate the generation of strategic "Insight Briefs." The platform doesn't charge by number of "seats" or modules, but instead offers custom pricing for smaller-scale businesses or large enterprise clients.
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Google Trends: Free search interest tracking
Google Trends is a free tool that provides a real-time window into the world's search behavior by aggregating billions of queries into digestible 0-100 scales of relative interest. While it doesn't offer absolute search volumes like a traditional SEO tool, it excels at helping brands "ride the wave" of cultural momentum by identifying breakout topics, seasonal cycles, and regional demand shifts as they happen. Because Google’s mission is to keep this information universally accessible, the platform remains a completely free resource with no gated "Premium" tiers, though it serves three primary functional levels: Trending Now for hourly "intraday" spikes, Explore for historical and comparative deep dives, and the Trends API (available via Google Cloud) for developers looking to integrate search signals into their own proprietary dashboards.
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Pollfish: On-demand DIY brand tracking
Pollfish is a mobile-first survey platform that specializes in "organic sampling," reaching over 250 million consumers globally within the apps they are already using (rather than reaching out to survey panel providers). By ditching traditional email panels in favor of a real-time, incentivized engagement model, it allows researchers to bypass "survey fatigue" and capture authentic consumer sentiment in hours rather than weeks. The platform operates on a transparent, pay-per-response model starting at $0.95 per complete, offered across three service levels: DIY Platform for self-service research with unlimited seats, Full Service Projects (starting at $5,000) for end-to-end expert management, and Enterprise (starting at $25,000/year) for high-volume teams requiring deeper discounts and dedicated account support.
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Mention: Social monitoring for small to mid-size teams
Mention is a streamlined social listening and media monitoring tool designed to help brands "be everywhere" by tracking keyword mentions across the web, social media, and even TV and radio in real-time. It excels at simplifying the "noise" of the internet through automated sentiment analysis and spike alerts, allowing marketing teams to jump into conversations or mitigate PR crises before they trend. The service is structured into five accessible levels: Solo ($29/month) for individuals tracking two basic alerts, Starter ($99/month) for small teams needing dashboard views, Pro ($141/month) for growing brands requiring AI emotion analysis, ProPlus ($249/month) for larger volumes and continuous updates, and Company (custom pricing) which offers white-label reporting and unlimited seats for global agencies.
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Comparing features and capabilities of brand tracking software
Below is a high-level comparison to help match tools to needs based on the source of insights, key analytics, and level of support.
|
Platform |
Insights Source |
Key analytics |
Support |
| quantilope | Custom surveys (quantitative and qualitative options) | 15 automated advanced methods including MaxDiff, Conjoint, TURF, A/B Testing, and 17 research solutions including Better Brand Health Tracking and Consumer Segmentation | Dedicated consulting, onboarding, Integrated AI Research Partner (quinn) |
| Talkwalker (by Hootsuite) |
Social, news, forums, blogs, TV/Radio | Sentiment analysis, logo detection, crisis detection | Dedicated account managers, 24/7 technical support |
| Meltwater | News, broadcast, podcasts, social data | Sentiment scoring, PR analytics, media exposure, influencer mapping | 24/7 online support, training courses; Managed Services and Premium Services for Enterprise plan |
| Sprout Social | Social media API integrations, CRM data | Paid vs. Organic analysis, engagement tracking/ROI, content performance | Tiered levels: email/chat, dedicated success teams, strategic consulting |
| Awario | Web and social crawling | Reach and volume, lead generation, social "loudness", keyword opportunities | Help center, tutorials, email support |
| Brand24 | Social mentions, news, blogs, podcasts | Sentiment and emotion analysis, influencer scores, reputation shifts | Priority support for Team and Pro Plans; added Client Success Lead for Business and Enterprise |
| YouScan | Social visuals and messenger apps | AI sentiment analysis, visual insights (scene/activity detection) | Online knowledge base and Academy |
| Quid (previously NetBase Quid) |
Historical archive, patents, news, R&D filings | Narrative mapping, theme detection/clustering, predictive trend scanning | Dedicated analysts and technical integration support |
| Google Trends | Aggregated, anonymized search data from Google Search and YouTube | Relative interest, rising queries, "breakout" topics, geographic heatmaps | Self-service (Google Help center and community forums) |
| Pollfish | RDE (Random Device Engagement); surveys delivered via a network of mobile apps | A/B creative testing, Cross-tabulation, qualitative focus groups, IHUT (in-home usage testing) | Ranges from self-service to dedicated research experts and dedicated account managers (based on service tier) |
| Mention | Web, social monitoring (1 billion+ sources) | Crisis management, competitive comparisons, influencer scores | Self-service documentation, "Mention Academy", email-based support |
When to choose which:
- When you need automated, advanced methodologies (like Conjoint or MaxDiff) that provide actionable insights to move the needle on market share and brand growth, go with quantilope. Specifically if you're looking to take traditional brand health tracking to the next level with Mental Availability and Mental Advantage insights, quantilope is your go-to.
- When you're looking for a general pulse on public perceptions and social performance, go with Talkwalker, Meltwater, Sprout Social, Brand24, or Mention to monitor daily sentiment shifts and track how content is landing across social channels.
- When you're looking to understand how often people are searching for your brand, go with Google Trends or Awario.
- When you have a simple survey or want a quick gauge of how your visuals or creative assets are performing, go with YouScan or Pollfish.
- And if you're interested in diving into massive existing data sets to understand the nuances of brand health and high-level trends, go with Quid.
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How to choose the right brand tracking software for multi-market campaigns
Choosing the right brand tracking software can be a big decision for organizations, especially when coordinating across diverse regions. To navigate the many tools available today, below is framework you can reference as you evaluate your options.
- Define core needs: Determine if your brand tracking strategy requires real-time social monitoring (like Talkwalker or Meltwater) or proactive, survey-based insights (like quantilope). You should also identify which metrics you'd like to track, any internal policies you need to adhere to when using a third-party software, and what your final data deliverables will be.
- Identify global requirements: List out your required channels, languages, and countries; for survey-based trackers, specify the exact sample frames needed to reach your target audience in each market.
- Pilot and validate: Test out dashboards with key stakeholders to ensure the insights and workflows match your team’s needs.
- Integrate and scale: Consider API capabilities and other tools/integrations to centralize reporting, ensuring a "single source of truth" across all markets.
Prioritize localization, scalability, and cross-market reporting. Longitudinal tracking means following the same metrics, audiences, and markets over time to reveal trends and changes in brand health — critical for comparing pre/post campaigns and seasonal patterns.
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Best practices for implementing brand tracking systems
So how can you ensure that your chosen brand tracking solution bridges the gap between data collection and data-driven decisions?
Tying tracking to strategy and outcomes
Successful brand tracking starts with tying your brand health KPIs directly to organizational goals. By monitoring the traditional brand funnel (awareness → consideration → preference → usage → loyalty), you can diagnose exactly where you need to focus for growth. For example, high awareness paired with low consideration may signal a need to shift messaging or address perceived value. Tracking more modern brand health metrics like Mental Availability and Mental Advantages take your tracking a step further, capturing the reasons consumers are coming to your category and how well your brand performs in it.
Localizing for markets
When tracking across regions, your messaging and research stimuli should be adapted to resonate with local respondents. Lean on market-specific translators to ensure your survey questions convey the same meaning across languages and dialects; work with native experts in each market to further identify any regional nuances that could skew your data or impact your response rate; and work with a panel provider who can reach the right audience in each region you're surveying. Many platforms (like quantilope) are built for global tracking and have the right processes in place to ensure you're getting reliable regional insights.
Reporting for impact
Reporting is where data becomes a decision-making engine. To drive business impact, your reports need to translate complex metrics into clear narratives that answer your stakeholder's most pressing questions. Focus your reporting on the main findings, supplementing with deep-dive reports that go further into the "why" as needed. Add benchmarked or trended data to further contextualize your findings, and ensure you have statistical testing in place. Keep your reports simple but engaging, focusing on the charts and key takeaways that answer stakeholders' "so what?".
Happy tracking!
Frequently Asked Questions:
What are the key features to look for in brand tracking software?
The essentials are real-time monitoring, automated analysis, competitive benchmarking, customizable dashboards, and integrations with analytics or CRM tools. In 2026, AI copilots are table stakes, so look for AI tools that offer strategic, end-to-end support rather than just answer basic questions.
How large should my sample be for reliable brand tracking surveys?
Sample size depends on your target audience size and desired confidence level. Generally, aim for at least several hundred responses per wave to ensure statistical reliability. For most national brands, a sample of 1,000 to 1,500 provides a robust margin of error.
How is brand tracking different from social listening?
Social listening (and monitoring) is reactive; it tracks specific @mentions and conversations happening right now on social media. Brand tracking is proactive and broader, typically using structured surveys to measure deep-seated perceptions across your entire target audience so you can anticipate consumer behavior rather than race to keep up.
How often should I run my brand tracking studies?
The "gold standard" is continuous tracking, but the frequency depends on your category's volatility. Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) might require monthly or even weekly pulses, while high-consideration industries (like B2B or automotive) may find quarterly or biannual updates sufficient to measure meaningful shifts.
Why should I include my competitors in my brand tracker?
Brand health doesn't exist in a vacuum. Tracking competitors allows you to perform a SWOT analysis in real-time, helping you identify "whitespace" opportunities where rivals are failing to meet consumer expectations or where your brand can better differentiate itself. Mental Advantage analysis is particularly great for this.
Can AI really help with brand tracking?
Yes, AI is a game-changer for speed and depth in tracking research. AI tools like quantilope's Integrated AI Research Partner, quinn, can suggest survey inputs, answer technical tracking questions, generate key takeaways, and identify surprising trends or data points that human analysts might miss. AI helps turn raw data into a narrative in seconds rather than weeks.