Billions of dollars are spent every year on brand strategies, in the attempt to make consumers aware of different brands. From soft drinks to mobile phones, brand awareness influences which products people buy and which brands they trust. Building brand awareness is the first step for any company serious about its brand strategy. Increased consumer awareness is only one element of developing a brand strategy, but it is the most important one. The marketer’s goal is to set the brand apart from its competition, to single it out and convince consumers of the brand’s merit. To that end, a company should develop a brand strategy that includes the following 5 tips:
1. Establish a Simple, Consistent Brand Message
This is should be the core message behind the brand, the one thing that the marketer wants customers to remember. This message should be repeated in all materials and advertising. It should be easy to understand and short, but getting the message across clearly nonetheless.
2. Use a Distinctive, Timeless Logo
This is the most basic aspect of branding and plays a key role in enabling consumers to easily identify a product. The main goal of the logo is to convey the attributes of the brand to potential customers. The logo is in itself a small advertisement for a business. Logos inform customers about the brand and thus make the products on which it is placed distinctive. Constantly changing a logo defeats its purpose, so a logo should be designed to last a long time without becoming dated.
3. Develop an Internet Presence that Supports the Brand Strategy
Most marketers are aware of the Internet’s power, which means that a modern marketer will need a thorough understanding of online technologies and marketing tactics in order to compete. They will need to know how to use social media and have an understanding of search engine optimization as both of these things are needed to build brand awareness in the modern era. The internet provides vast resources and its brand-building possibilities are limited only by the creativity of advertisers. If successful, an Internet presence can provide a means to effectively get the attention of a large number of people without spending a lot of money.
4. Build Brand Loyalty with Target Market
Creating a community around a brand is one of the basic principles of brand awareness. This involves connecting with people and creating positive feelings about the brand. Community-building can be done via offers of free merchandise, coupons and even sponsored local events. Engaging social media users is another important aspect of building brand loyalty. Of course, providing a consistently good product or service is essential. The object is to make the brand memorable in a good way and to keep it memorable by constantly reminding consumers of the brand message and logo.
5. Excel at Customer Service
Being efficient and courteous is no longer enough. Adequate customer service is the standard for most businesses, it will therefore be necessary to consistently go above and beyond to build brand awareness. This means excellent customer care both before and after the sale along with exceeding expectations in all areas of service.