Net promoter score is dead





Written by: Rui Correia



Updated on August 21th, 2025



You’ve probably seen the classic question:


“How likely are you to recommend us on a scale from 0 to 10?”


That’s the famous Net Promoter Score (NPS). It’s simple. It’s popular. It looks neat on a dashboard. But here’s the hard truth: NPS rarely tells you what you actually need to know about your brand.





The problems with NPS



1. Someone can say they’d recommend your brand and never mention you to anyone. Intent doesn't mean action.

2. How people score will vary depending on cultural background making NPS hard to compare across markets.

3. A single number eliminates all nuances and context, leaving you with a vanity metric that looks good in board slides but doesn’t explain why customers behave the way they do.


At its core, Net Promoter Score measures a stated intention, not real-world behavior. And if you’re trying to grow your brand, that gap is a dangerous blind spot.



Why do companies keep using it?



So, if NPS is flawed, why keep using it? Well, it’s easy to benchmark.


Executives like seeing a number that is simple to obtain, calculate and can easily be compared to industry averages. Also, since the source is the customer, it feels customer-centric.


The problem? Just because something is simple doesn’t mean it’s insightful.



If your goal is brand growth, you don’t need to know how likely someone is to recommend you. You need to know:


• How many people actually recommended you.

• What’s driving real-world purchase behavior.

• Which brand associations are shaping preference.

• How your branding strength connects to sales performance.


These are the metrics that really show whether your brand is winning hearts, wallets and market share.





Alternatives to NPS



Here are three powerful alternatives to consider:


1. Customer Retention and repeat purchase rate


What it measures: The percentage of customers who come back and buy again.


Why it matters: Growth comes from people who don’t just say they like your brand, but keep choosing it over competitors. And those are the customers that are more likely to recommend the brand.


2. Brand usage and share of wallet


What it measures: How many people in your target market actually use your brand and the proportion of a customer’s total spending in your category that goes to your brand.


Why it matters: Shows whether you’re the first choice or a second thought. Tracking behavior beats tracking intention.


3. Brand Perception Drivers


What it measures: Perceptions and associations linked to brand choice. Instead of asking “Would you recommend us?” ask “What comes to mind when you think of our brand?”.


Why it matters: Associations like trust, value and innovation are leading indicators of purchase and loyalty.


4. Referral Program


What it measures: Real world advocacy through codes and links.


Why it matters: This is the behavioral version of NPS.




Final thoughts



NPS had its moment. NPS gave organizations a simple way to think about customer intention and sentiment. But if you’re serious about growth, it’s time to evolve to a insightful alternative.


Brands don’t grow because people say they’d recommend them. Brands grow because people buy, return and spread the word.


So, stop chasing vanity metrics and start measuring what actually grows your brand.





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