When shoppers step foot inside a store thinking about buying a certain product is your brand top of mind? Can people spot your brand in supermarkets? Does your brand stand out from the crowd?
In this article, we are going to focus on brand recognition. We’ll talk about what brand recognition is and how it impacts your business. Also, we will give you some of the best strategies to try out to increase brand recognition and awareness.
Why is brand recognition important?
If your brand is recognizable, it helps customers trust you because people trust what they know. If a shopper comes to the store to buy a can of soda, they will most likely end up with a soda from Coca-Cola or Pepsi, because these brands are recognizable. Sure, pricing, assortment, and personal preferences also play a role in the product purchasing decision.
Also, a brand that is easy to recognize creates a halo effect. This phenomenon causes us to be biased in our judgments by transferring our feeling regarding one person’s trait to other, unrelated traits. The halo effect can also be applied to brands: If a brand is recognizable it must mean that it is the best option.
Improving brand recognition also impacts the perceived value of your products. Shoppers are willing to pay more for a product from a well-known brand than from one they don’t even recognize. 46% of customers tend to buy from familiar brands. The more people recognize, appreciate, and believe in your brand, the more they buy from you.
The 5 stages of brand recognition
Brand recognition is not just about seeing the label of a product in-store and recognizing the name of the brand. It is a more complex concept. Here are the 5 stages of brand recognition:
1. Awareness
In the first stage, you are making your brand known to consumers by promoting your products. You are also helping shoppers associate your brand with your chosen design elements and marketing messages.
2. Preference
At this stage, customers are starting to select your brand over other alternatives. This might be because of the price, the quality of the product, or great customer service.
3. Reputation
Shoppers are not just choosing you. Your brand is starting to get a reputation and customers are seeing value in your products.
4. Trust
One of the most important stages of brand recognition is the point where customers truly trust your products and services. In this stage, customers are getting attached to your brand and products.
5. Loyalty
Last but not least, the loyalty stage is when shoppers can’t imagine choosing a different brand over yours. In this stage, you will also benefit from word-of-mouth marketing because loyal customers share their experiences with friends and family.
Increase brand recognition in-store
Want to make sure that shoppers recognize your brand and products and that they became loyal customers? Here are some strategies you can use to increase brand recognition in-store.
Make your product stand out
Think of all the products and brands that are available inside a supermarket. Shoppers are overwhelmed by the great assortment of products. It’s time to make your products stand off the shelves - literally stand out.
With Tokinomo, you can implement in-store brand activations that will attract and engage shoppers right at the point of sale.
Be consistent with your marketing efforts
It’s essential to be consistent with your marketing efforts if you want customers to recognize your brand. Don’t focus just on seasonal marketing and try to implement creative campaigns from time to time to remain top of mind.
Differentiate your brand from competitors
Since shoppers have tens of brands to choose from why would they choose yours? It’s important to differentiate your brand and products from your competitors. Think about what makes your brand unique. Also, why are your products better (or different) from the products of your competitors?
Include these differentiators in your marketing campaigns so customers can understand and remember why they should choose your products.
Make your brand relatable
Another strategy to increase brand recognition and awareness is to make your brand relatable. Your brand’s voice and “personality” need to be easy to relate to. Customers want to connect with brands and it’s easier to do so with “humanized brands”.
Create campaigns that are funny, creative, and relatable. This will help you create a bond with shoppers and turn them into loyal customers.
Make your brand easy to spot
We’ve offered a few tips and tricks that can help you increase brand recognition and make your products easy to spot and shop for by customers. Be consistent with your marketing efforts and differentiate your brand from competitors to increase brand recognition.
