FAQs

Why Does Brand Tracking Still Use Surveys In 2026?

Why Does Brand Tracking Still Use Surveys In 2026?

Why do leading brand tracking providers like Timelaps still use a survey-based methodology in 2026, and can a survey tell the full story?

Dr. Henk Pretorius, co-founder of Timelaps, answers both. Brand health tracking is, by definition, tracking. That means it has to be consistent, stable, and reliable. A survey is still the best methodology for that, and always has been.

On completeness: a brand health tracker fundamentally needs to do two things. Tell you how you're performing, and tell you what to do. Timelaps delivers both, with all the measures you need to grow.

Can it answer every new question that comes up? No. But Timelaps sees other methodologies as additive. Plenty of clients run additional qualitative work alongside it, which works well. As a brand health tracker, the survey approach is complete for its purpose.

Henk spent 20+ years in market research and built and sold the largest digital research agency in Africa. Learn more: https://timelaps.io

Presented by

Henk Pretorius

Co-founder

,

Timelaps

Henk Pretorius is the co-founder of Timelaps. He has spent over 20 years in market research and holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Cape Town. Henk bootstrapped Columinate into the largest digital research agency in South Africa and sold it to Insites Consulting (now Human8), where he then served as Managing Partner at one of the world's leading consumer insights firms. Henk is also the author of Rational Defiance. He lives between South Africa and the United States with his wife and two daughters.

Henk Pretorius

Co-founder

,

Timelaps

Henk Pretorius is the co-founder of Timelaps. He has spent over 20 years in market research and holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Cape Town. Henk bootstrapped Columinate into the largest digital research agency in South Africa and sold it to Insites Consulting (now Human8), where he then served as Managing Partner at one of the world's leading consumer insights firms. Henk is also the author of Rational Defiance. He lives between South Africa and the United States with his wife and two daughters.

Henk Pretorius

Co-founder

,

Timelaps

Henk Pretorius is the co-founder of Timelaps. He has spent over 20 years in market research and holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Cape Town. Henk bootstrapped Columinate into the largest digital research agency in South Africa and sold it to Insites Consulting (now Human8), where he then served as Managing Partner at one of the world's leading consumer insights firms. Henk is also the author of Rational Defiance. He lives between South Africa and the United States with his wife and two daughters.