As you promote your business, a key question you need to ask is: How do I help my prospective customers know me? A strategic marketing plan can help raise awareness about your services. But if and how customers recognize you is dependent on your business’s brand. OOH ads are an incredibly effective way to build your brand awareness. But what exactly is brand awareness?
What is a brand?
A brand is every aspect of your business’ outward appearance that could make it more memorable to your customers. Your business name, your logo, your slogan, your color scheme, your services, your origin story, your unique selling points, your location, your advertising styles… Even the values of your business are a part of the brand. And your brand has everything to do with public opinion. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos called brands “what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
What is brand awareness?
Have you ever asked someone for a Band-Aid? Or a Kleenex? When you wanted a refreshing summer snack, you may have gotten a Popsicle. Or when you needed to send a delicate package you used Bubble Wrap. We might not realize it, but all of these aren’t just products — they’re brand names. We have become so familiar with them, they became synonymous with their purpose. Brand awareness is how much customers associate your business with the service they need.
Is it just brand recognition?
Not at all. Keep in mind that brand awareness is much more than recognition. You do need brand recognition, but brand awareness goes further. When customers hear your name or see your logo, you want them to automatically know the specifics of what you offer, where they can find you, what kind of service they can expect, etc. The goal is to give customers a positive association with your business. Not just a name they recognize, but a name they want to use.
Why is it important?
Brand awareness is a highly effective way to grow a loyal customer base. It can create a sense of trust. If your brand is the first thing people think of when they need a service, you’ll be the place they go. You’ll be the first business they recommend when their friends or family are in need of your service. It can also help when dealing with competing companies. If people are more familiar with your business’s name, they’ll be more likely to use your product or service as opposed to researching for alternatives.
Brand awareness is paramount to making any marketing strategy work. So how do you promote brand awareness? We’ll cover that in our next post!