Recognition. It’s powerful. Anything can trigger it. A song’s first note has you reliving the summer you finished high school. A stretch of beach is inseparable from the breakup you went through that summer—a whiff of next-door sausage sizzle, and your mind races with a Bunnings to-do list. Bunnings is a brilliant example of brand recognition. Never mind that we’ve been eating sausages for thousands of years; Bunning’s shrewd marketing now has everyone associating sausages with home improvement and DIY. In saturated, competitive markets, an edge like this can keep your brand from falling over the edge into obscurity. Or worse, mediocrity.
But what is brand recognition, and how can your brand achieve it? This guide will help you understand why it matters.
Brand recognition: what is it?
Let’s start with brand. A brand is an asset that represents your company in public. It’s your logo, company colors, and key messages—all the elements distinguishing your company from others in the market. Your brand identity is these elements combined.
Brand recognition is how well customers recognize that identity. We recognize brands with strong, unique identities. The stronger the brand recognition, the fewer cues we need to recognize a brand.
A brilliant example? Coca-Cola. Most of us can spot a Coke can in a fridge crowded with rival brands from the other end of the supermarket aisle. For Coke, being synonymous with the colors red and white didn’t happen by accident; it took time and deliberate effort. Granted, Coke’s had over a century to achieve this level of ubiquity. Still, theirs is a template for success worth borrowing from, regardless of your brand.
Brand recognition is not brand awareness
Before we unpack why brand recognition matters, let’s touch on brand awareness. Suppose brand recognition asks simple, fundamental questions; brand awareness probes deeper. Effective brand awareness means your target market not only spots you in a sea of competitors but also understands how your brand meets their needs.
Think of brand recognition as the first step to brand awareness. Say you own an accounting firm. Brand recognition is a customer recalling you from a TV ad. Brand awareness is the same customer choosing your services at tax time because they align with your initiatives toward the gender pay gap.
Why brand recognition matters
In a perfect world, a great product or service sells itself. Sadly, this isn’t the case unless your brand catches fire through word of mouth. Effective brand recognition will sell a poor product quicker than poor brand recognition will sell an effective product. The following reasons outline why your company should invest.
Standing out
This is the first hurdle your brand recognition strategy needs to clear, or else progress will be slow. If your brand can’t stand out, you can’t expect customers to discern your brand from your competitors. Strong recognition helps your brand sparkle enough to be chosen over the rest.
Influencing customers
The more your brand stands out, the more familiar it becomes. Why does this matter? Familiarity is a magnet; it’s the reason you stopped at McDonald’s on the drive home and not that other burger place next door.
Gaining trust
If you volunteer for your local footy club every weekend, over time, you’ll gain the trust of those involved with the club and the rest of the community. Brand recognition is no different. The more consistent your brand recognition strategy is, the more customers will trust your brand.
How can your business improve its brand recognition?
Let us count the ways. Seriously, the list of measures to improve can be as long and detailed as you want. Here are some measures we stand by.
Build a strong brand identity
If it feels like you’re going in circles with these terms, don’t worry. You are. Building a strong brand identity will come early in the cycle, but that makes it no less important. Choose the right colors and the right design. Make that logo sing. Nail your brand identity, and you’ll set things up to move in the right direction.
Implement an effective marketing strategy
Brand recognition is a coin; one side is identity, and the other is strategy. An effective marketing strategy is one that considers every option. Do your research. Get to know your target audience and the communities they belong to. If TikTok is where they shop, create reels that stop them from scrolling. Use SEO to optimize your website. The list goes on, and the sky’s the limit.
Get the right support
Let’s step behind the curtain. An effective brand recognition strategy is only as effective as the team developing it. And if they’re suffering abrupt and inexplicable IT issues, the strategy will soon deflate. That’s why having reliable website support services is essential to your brand’s productivity. Keeping things running smoothly in the background lets things shine in the foreground.
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Not all brand recognition is good, which is why you must take it for what it is: a critical piece in your overall business strategy. If your brand is hot sauce, make that hot sauce so delicious it becomes indispensable at the family dinner table. There’s nothing to gain from building recognition for a product that underwhelms.
That said, a few factors will decide the success and longevity of your brand more than brand recognition. It’s a simple case of getting out what you put in. Effort and an open mind will work wonders here, ensuring your brand gets the recognition it deserves.
