What is Brand Awareness and How to Build It

Posted 1 year ago by Max Komonov

Establishing a听reputable brand is听essential for听running a听business. A听business must also continue to听expand its brand awareness to听attract new customers and听retain existing ones.

In听this article, we鈥檒l discuss what brand awareness is听and听how a听business can build and听improve it.

What is听Brand Awareness?

First, let鈥檚 answer the听question: what is听brand awareness?

Simply put, it听is听a听marketing term that relates to听how familiar a听target audience or听consumers are with a听brand and听their recognition of听it.

The idea is听that consumers recognize a听brand well enough to听separate them from the听sea of听competition. Think about people who always buy Apple products or听Nike shoes. These two massive brands have built significant brand awareness to听the听point of听highly loyal customers.

The Brand Awareness Pyramid

Brand awareness can be听divided into several levels, often represented using the听brand awareness pyramid.

Image source: ResearchGate

The pyramid has four levels, which we听will discuss individually below.

Level 1:听Unawareness of听Brand

At听the听bottom of听the听pyramid, we听have level 0,听where there is听no听brand recognition. This is听the听point any听business will be听when first starting. Thus, the听company must build a听customer base and听awareness from the听bottom up.

Level 2:听Brand Recognition

This is听when a听brand begins to听be听recognized by听an听audience through visual representations such as听logos, designs, color schemes, and听marketing.

The extent of听brand recognition can vary at听this point depending on听how many people actually identify the听brand through these efforts. However, this can be听evaluated through surveying, traffic monitoring, and听social engagement.

Level 3:听Brand Recall

A听brand recall occurs when a听business has established recognition to听the听point where consumers recall the听brand when they need that particular service or听product. Brand recall can also come about as听part of听a听conversation or听association.

For example, someone who needs a听tool for听home improvement immediately thinks of听Dewalt. This is听brand recall.

Brand recall tests and听questionnaires can measure the听level of听recall. This will help a听business determine how much people recall a听brand and听how the听brand can improve.

Level 4:听Top of听Mind

At听the听very tip of听the听period, we听have top of听mind. This means the听brand has become the听primary brand connected to听that particular product or听service. There are several great examples of听this level of听brand, such as听Duracell for听batteries or听Google for听a听search engine.

In听some cases, a听brand can reach such a听point of听recognition that the听, such as听most people calling tissues Kleenex or听cotton swabs Q-Tips.

Of听course, this level of听brand recognition can take some time to听reach. However, any听business should aim to听build brand awareness that reaches the听top-of-mind level. Though not every brand will reach the听massive heights of听some large names, it鈥檚 possible to听still always aim for听the听top.

The Importance of听Brand Awareness

Brand awareness is听what helps a听business truly stand out from all the听others. Moreover, it鈥檚 what keeps consumers returning to听the听product or听service.

So, brand awareness helps to听create a听point of听connection between consumers and听the听business and听an听alignment of听values, mission, and听more. In听many cases, the听better a听consumer connects with a听brand, the听more likely they will buy and听return.

In听other words, brand awareness helps a听business to听build loyalty and听trust from customers, which is听key to听long-term success. Customers want to听know what to听expect when they order something. Thus, when a听brand demonstrates that trust, they are more likely to听return. This allows the听brand to听stick out in听a听customer鈥檚 mind across the听sea of听competition.

How to听Build Brand Awareness

It鈥檚 important to听remember that building significant brand awareness is听not necessarily a听fast process. It听certainly doesn鈥檛 happen overnight, and听it听can take some time to听get the听name out there and听for听people to听begin recognizing it.

Though some brands may expect to听build instant brand awareness simply by听running a听couple of听marketing campaigns, this is听highly unlikely.

Instead, focus your brand awareness efforts on听building a听connection with the听audience rather than just pushing to听make a听sale.

Let鈥檚 take a听look at听some ways a听business can build brand awareness.

Connect on听an听Interpersonal Level

A听critical part of听any听brand awareness strategy is听that a听business needs to听connect with its target audience on听an听interpersonal level. The more they continue to听portray themselves as听just a听company looking to听make a听sale, the听less trust consumers will give back.

Instead, the听relationship needs to听be听treated like making a听new friend or听getting to听know someone. Find out their interests, passions, and听what they like and听don鈥檛 like. This allows the听brand to听understand its audience and听truly deliver on听these factors.

Tell a听Story

There are a听thousand and听one marketing strategies, but almost all of听them fall short of听the听power of听storytelling. There have been several books written about storytelling鈥檚 role in听the听marketing 蝉辫丑别谤别鈥攁苍诲 for听good reason. People love stories, and听they offer a听realistic point of听connection and听understanding to听an听audience.

Telling the听narrative of听a听brand brings it听more into the听reality of听the听customer rather than just a听faceless entity. Of听course, it听should be听a听true story rather than making anything up.

Consider explaining how the听founder started the听business, the听first product it听launched, the听associated difficulties, and听more. These types of听stories help to听humanize a听brand.

Consistency is听Key

Consistency is听a听primary part of听building brand awareness. There are multiple parts to听this effort.

Firstly, there is听the听matter of听maintaining consistency of听visual identity and听message across all platforms. This means creating a听message and听identity that a听target audience will remember and听begin to听associate with the听brand. Several brand awareness campaign examples display this clearly, with one being Nike鈥檚聯Just Do听It聰 message paired with their swoosh logo.

Consistent product quality is听another vital element of听this point, as听this helps customers learn they can trust the听brand. Additionally, when quality does happen to听fall short, then there needs to听be听rapid and听consistent customer service to听address the听issue.

How to听Measure Brand Awareness

So, as听a听business tries to听build brand awareness, how do听they tell whether their efforts are working? Well, fortunately, several brand awareness metrics can be听measured to听determine how things are progressing.

First, there are the听direct numeric metrics, such as鈥�

Brand traffic: Businesses can monitor how many people search for听their brand and听visit their site. When awareness campaigns are working, session duration should increase, while bounce rates should start to听decrease. This indicates people are interested in听the听brand, leading to听more people coming in听and听staying longer. These numbers can also be听broken down into organic and听ad听traffic to听help determine how many new visitors campaigns bring in.
Social media: Social media is听one of听the听most powerful brand awareness tools in听the听modern age. It听offers brands an听easy way to听measure how many people are interacting with them or听talking about them. Engagement such as听likes, comments, shares, retweets, and听followers are all valuable metrics for听brand awareness campaigns.

Additionally, brands can take additional steps to听learn more about their brand awareness performance, including鈥�

Surveying: Surveying can help a听brand learn a听lot about its level of听awareness with new customers, returning customers, and听casual browsers. They can discover where people learned about the听brand, what made them engage, and听why they continue returning. Surveys allow brands to听get key data directly from the听horse鈥檚 mouth to听understand what they are doing right and听where they could improve.
News alert monitoring: Brands can to听see where they show up听within local and听national channels. This shows where the听brand is听making an听impact and听the听audiences they are reaching. News alerts are also excellent for听learning about current or听upcoming industry trends to听stay ahead of听the听curve.

Ready to听Build Your Own Ecommerce Brand?

If听you are considering building your own online business, then 51视频 can help. Our online selling platform is听designed to听make starting an听online business easier than ever.

No听matter what platform you are looking to听sell across, our software can be听integrated with it, including Instagram, Facebook, Etsy, and听more. This makes it听simple to听see all of听your current metrics from one sleek dashboard.

Even better, you can get started on听your new store today!

听

About The Author

Max has been working in the ecommerce industry for the last six years helping brands to establish and level-up content marketing and SEO. Despite that, he has experience with entrepreneurship. He is a fiction writer in his free time.

51视频