A perceptual audit is a qualitative and sometimes mixed-method research process that captures how consumers mentally categorize and evaluate a brand, product, or competitive set. Within brand, concept, and messaging research, it serves as a diagnostic tool, revealing whether a brand's intended positioning is landing as designed or drifting in the market. Researchers use perceptual audits to identify association gaps, competitive vulnerabilities, and unmet positioning opportunities. The method typically combines open-ended probing, projective techniques, and attribute mapping to surface both conscious and implicit perceptions. Because consumer perceptions shift over time, perceptual audits are most valuable when run continuously rather than as isolated, one-off studies.