+1-713-701-5823
+92-518-441-742
Building a brand might be hard but building brand awareness can be even harder in today’s competitive landscape. If you fail to strategize your brand strategy the right way, chances are you may fall by the wayside.
The question is what tactics do great brands use to build brand awareness? What core values do they incorporate into their brand strategy? And how you can make sure that your intended audience doesn’t just recognize your brand but also understands your values, resonates with your brand tone, and comprehends why you exist?
This blog post will address all your queries and provide in-depth insights into brand awareness and why it’s important. Furthermore, we’ll explore the most essential aspects of a successful brand awareness strategy.
What Is Brand Awareness?
If you own a brand, goes without saying, you must clearly understand this concept. On the surface level, brand awareness is simple. It represents how well your target audience is familiar with your brand, its services, core values, and brand message.
Imagine yourself in a scenario for a moment. You are asked to participate in a 10km race and you are given two identical pairs of trainers. Both shoes have strong traction, cushioning, and stability, providing equal foot support. You must pick one to step on the racecourse.
Difficult choice, right?
The very next moment you see a Puma logo on one of the shoes. You will probably go with those branded Puma shoes, not because they are branded but because you somehow resonate with their brand voice and brand identity. They are famous for their suppleness, agility and strength among their target audience. This is what we call brand awareness, and establishing a strong one is highly crucial for your brand.
[Related: I Exhibit, Therefore I Am: The Psychology Behind Why People Buy Brands]
Why Is Brand Awareness Important?
Brand awareness is not something that can be achieved overnight, it demands continuous efforts and struggle as reflected by what Richard Branson — co-founder of the Virgin Group — says:
“Branding demands commitment; commitment to continual re-invention; striking chords with people to stir their emotions; and commitment to imagination. It is easy to be cynical about such things, much harder to be successful”.
So here’s why one should focus on building brand awareness:
It Fosters Trust
Brand awareness plays a significant role in fostering consumer trust and loyalty. Stats show that 46% of people would prefer purchasing from brands they trust. Moreover, consumers rely on research and others’ opinions before making purchases, so establishing brand trust becomes paramount.
It Develops Association
Brand awareness creates strong associations between actions and products with specific brands. This association leads consumers to use brand names interchangeably with generic terms, effectively becoming brand ambassadors through everyday usage.
It Builds Brand Equity
Positive brand equity yields numerous benefits, including the ability to command higher prices, increased stock value, and opportunities for business expansion. By consistently promoting positive brand experiences and increasing awareness, brands can build and enhance brand equity, fostering consumer recognition, preference, loyalty, and advocacy.
Key Aspects of Building a Successful Brand Awareness Strategy
Crafting a powerful brand story, ensuring consistency across all channels, and continuously innovating to engage your audience are all essential components of a successful brand awareness strategy.
To achieve this, let’s explore the fundamental elements that make it possible.
Unique Brand Positioning and Messaging
It’s no secret that brand position and unique brand voice are important as they differentiate your brand from the others. It includes your innovative services or products, specified audience pool, or any other competitive aspect that sets your brand apart in the industry.
For instance, Nike positions itself as a top shoe manufacturer in the global shoe market, delivering quality and innovation to their target audience. Extending this example, what comes to your mind when you hear the slogan “Just Do It”?
Nike, right?
This example depicts that having a unique brand position and a short slogan or motto is a cornerstone of a successful brand awareness strategy. That’s how their target audience recognizes them in this over-crowded marketplace.
A Multi-channel Approach
You must opt for a multi-channel approach to build brand awareness. What if your target audience couldn’t find you on their most preferred platform? Your brand would fail without even getting started.
Make sure that your brand is available on all the platforms where your target audience tends to be more active. This would cater to the specific needs of your audience, leading to increased brand visibility and user engagement.
Specify your target audience for your brand and select the most appropriate platforms. These could be various social media platforms, emails, and search engines. Taking a multi-channel approach will make your brand visible to a diverse customer base.
Community Connection and Engagement
Posting content regularly on different platforms isn’t enough, you need to put extra effort to stand out among the crowd. That’s where community connections and engagement comes in.
Try connecting with your community and engage with them. There are multiple ways to do so. Interact with your audience in the comment sections of your brand posts, introduce giveaways, schedule live events, and run campaigns under your brand name. These practices will positively influence your customers developing an emotional connection with your brand.
Consistent Visual Brand Identity
Maintaining a consistent visual identity is crucial to build brand awareness. A cohesive look, feel, and messaging across all platforms ensure that your brand is easily recognizable and memorable, making it one of the most vital aspects of building brand identity.
Therefore, elements such as your logo, brand colors, typography, and other design components must remain distinct and consistent across all channels.
Take Starbucks, for instance, which exemplifies this principle by maintaining consistent branding with its iconic green color and logo across all outlets and packaging.
Collaboration with Other Brands
Collaboration between brands occurs when two different companies work together on a particular project. This approach is deemed to be a successful means of expanding one’s business. The ultimate objective is to enhance their respective customer outreach by boosting visibility.
All you need to do is find a brand that your target audience can resonate with and collaborate with the right strategy and message. The chances are that this approach would assist you in expanding your reach significantly, potentially doubling or even tripling your audience reach.
One of the most exclusive brand collaborations includes Apple and Nike. When two market giants teamed up to create the Apple Watch Nike+, combining Apple’s smartwatch technology with Nike’s fitness expertise. This collaboration was hugely successful as it expanded both brands’ reach in the wearable tech market.
Get Started Building Brand Awareness With Expert Tips
Try implementing these expert tips to super-charge your brand awareness strategy and see your brand name rise in no time:
- Offer powerful referral programs and encourage users to talk about your product or service to get incentives
- Optimize your content strategy and write impressive guest content to deliver valuable insights.
- Infographics are another great source to build brand awareness. Use colorful and engaging infographics to display marketing data and statistics.
- Collaborate with local businesses through events, sponsorships, and donations to increase brand exposure within the community.
- Distribute your products or other items under your brand name such as koozies and pens at local events to increase brand recognition.
- You can also engage users and expand brand awareness through interactive social media contests.
- Share your brand story with your audience, building an emotional connection and leaving a lasting impression of your brand.
- Host industry-specific podcasts to connect with audiences and establish your brand as a credible authority in the field.
- Partner with industry influencers to leverage their audience and amplify your brand’s reach through trusted endorsements.
Conclusion
Building brand awareness is a complex process that demands a blend of strategic planning and authentic engagement. By applying the tactics outlined in this blog post, you can adeptly develop brand recognition, foster connections with your desired audience, and propel your business forward.
Remember, if you fail to monitor all these strategies intelligently, all the efforts to build brand awareness will be in vain. That’s why it’s important to seek help from an expert corporate branding agency to achieve your goals and make your brand name huge and memorable in the industry.