A Consideration to Preference funnel is a simple way to measure brand choice like a real journey. Instead of asking a “favorite brand” question from a full list, you first capture a respondent’s shortlist (their consideration set) and then ask for one top choice from that shortlist.
Most survey platforms support this with Conditions which controls what is shown based on earlier answers. This setup works well for market research teams, brand tracking, and insight projects across local or regional markets.
How to set up a brand funnel in surveys
A common structure is:
● Consideration → Preference
In this blog, the core mechanic is Consideration to Preference.
Consideration question
The first question you’ll create is the Consideration question. In Survey Automator, click New question → Multiple select to set it up.
Purpose: Identify which brands are in the respondent’s mental shortlist.
Question:
Which of the following brands would you consider if you were choosing a [product/service] today?
(Select all that apply)
Answer options (you can copy-paste these — Survey Automator will automatically create new rows for each answer):
● Brand A
● Brand B
● Brand C
● Brand D
● None of these
👉 Output: the respondent’s consideration set (shortlist)
Preference question
Now create a new question, but instead choose Single select.
Purpose: Identify the respondent’s first choice among the brands they considered.
Question:
Which ONE of these brands would you prefer the most?
Answer options (conceptually):
● Brand A
● Brand B
● Brand C
● Brand D
● Not sure
👉 Output: Preference / top choice
How Conditions create “Consideration to Preference”
This is what turns two questions into a funnel. In Survey Automator, click the three dots (⋯) on your Preference question and select Conditions. Then select the previous Consideration question and choose all the brand answer alternatives. This way, if the respondent answered “None of these” or didn’t respond at all to the Consideration question, the Preference question won’t be visible.
In the Preference question, apply conditions to each brand answer option:
● Show “Brand A” only if “Brand A” was selected in the Consideration question
● Show “Brand B” only if “Brand B” was selected in the Consideration question
● Show “Brand C” only if “Brand C” was selected in the Consideration question
● Show “Brand D” only if “Brand D” was selected in the Consideration question
● Keep “Not sure” visible (usually no condition)
To add each condition at the row level, open the relevant answer option in the Preference question (for example Brand A), click the three dots (⋯), choose Conditions, then select Consideration → Brand A. Repeat the same setup for Brand B, Brand C, and Brand D.
FAQ
What is a Consideration to Preference funnel?
A survey setup where respondents first select all brands they would consider, then choose one preferred brand only from that considered shortlist.
Why use conditions in a brand funnel survey?
Conditions restrict the Preference options to only the brands selected in Consideration, which reduces noise and makes results easier to interpret.
What should I do if someone selects “None of these”?
You can skip the Preference question when “None of these” is selected with Conditions, because there’s no shortlist to choose from.
Should “Not sure” always be shown in Preference?
Usually yes—keep it visible so respondents can answer even if they can’t decide among the shortlisted brands.
Where does Awareness fit?
Awareness typically comes before Consideration (“Which of these brands have you heard of?”), giving you the full flow: Awareness → Consideration → Preference.
See Consideration to Preference in Action
If you’re building a Consideration to Preference funnel and want it to run smoothly at scale, the right survey tooling matters. See how our survey platform handles logic, automation, and structured brand funnels on our Features page.
👉 Ready to try it on your own study? Book a demo or contact us now!