Investopedia explains that the term brand awareness describes the degree of consumer recognition of a product by its name.
It’s a really vital factor in selling products and gaining a wide consumer base. Brand awareness possesses a gravity that, if positive, makes you stand out from competitors.
If you’re looking to boost your brand awareness, a campaign or event is your safest bet. It helps to be consistent in tone and messaging. For example, Compare the Market introduced its staple meerkat Aleksandr Orlov back in 2009 in an amusing campaign showcasing the confusion between Compare the Market and Compare the Meerkats. Over 10 years later, he’s still the star of its adverts, bringing a comforting familiarity for consumers as a brand staple. You see a meerkat and it’s very likely you think of Compare the Market, but these meerkats also make the brand cute, entertaining and most importantly, approachable.
Creating recognisable assets that link to your brand make you more appealing to those browsing for a specific product or service. Expanding that recognition can come in the form of the traditional TV and print adverts, paid partnerships with the appropriate influencers to increase the consumer base, social media campaigns and more. To find out more about how you can use creative communications campaigns to increase your brand awareness, check out our blog on how to create a brand awareness campaign here.
Whatever format you choose; film and video, digital marketing or any other medium, the more recognisable your brand becomes, the more likely consumers are going to subconsciously pick you rather than competitors, associate your brand with similar offerings and products, (i.e., referring to tissues as Kleenex), and recommend your products to others.
From this growth of recognition, you may find that you can reduce your spending on campaigns and other means of increasing brand awareness without causing detriment to the growth of your consumer base. Instead, you can rely on the factors that do well in your campaigns, (those loveable meerkats for example), and focus on progressing your brand and its offerings rather than building it.
In terms of hosting an event, research by EventTrack has shown that 98% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand after attending an activation. This is the perfect way for potential consumers to interact with your brand directly, learn more about your ethos, offerings, CSR and more and make a sound decision on whether or not they will continue to interact with you in the future.
Make sure your event is on brand and actually reflects your company, offers delegates an exciting experience and makes the most out of the power of social media with photo and hashtag opportunities.
Ultimately, brand awareness is about creating trust between the brand and the consumer, while shaping the way that you are remembered as a brand. The consumer must trust that both your company and what you’re offering them is the obvious and most beneficial choice in comparison to your competitors. This positive recognition goes a long way, and creates a loyal consumer base that will continue to interact with your brand due to the confidence that you instil from being seen as a credible and consistent option.
Want to increase your brand awareness? We’re pretty good at that... From carrying out Strategic Insight Dossiers to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your business, to creating and delivering large-scale campaigns and events, we can help you become the next brand of choice. Email us at anythingspossible@drpgroup.com or give us a call on 0844 682 5989 to get started.