What do you do if your brand recognition is lacking?

Dig deep to uncover WHY recognition is low. Analyze your website, social media, and other touchpoints. Is your value proposition crystal clear? Is your visual identity consistent and memorable? Are you targeting the right audience? Honest assessment is the first step towards impactful change.

First question both “brand recognition” and “lacking.” Brand recognition: - What audience matters? Who do you want to recognize/have awareness of your brand? - Examine the media and spaces in which your audience engages. How can you measure your brand’s presence and influence here? Lacking: - Are your (and your team leaders’) expectations for brand awareness appropriate? Do you know what success looks like in their eyes? - Have you discussed a timeline to achieve certain brand awareness KPIs? Once you know the answers to these questions, you can more effectively audit your performance against brand awareness goals thus far.

Marketing today is like trying to whisper in a hurricane. Clarity will help you cut through. How? Ditch generic "solutions" and focus on the specific outcome you provide. Make your value proposition so clear your ideal client thinks, "Finally, someone who gets me!" And leave the marketing buzzwords behind. Speak in language they'd use themselves. McDonald's is global but speaks in the local palate. From the Spicy Paneer Wrap in India to Chicken McDo with Spaghetti in the Philippines, they've mastered the art of localization. They've crafted a message and product that sounds and tastes like home. And that can only be done when you truly understand your audience.

Understand your brand, what you offer, and how you communicate your value to your audience. If you provide a service, create messaging that resonates and allows the audience to feel an emotional connection.

Airbnb’s rebranding in 2014 is a prime example of refining messaging to boost brand recognition. Previously seen primarily as a budget-friendly alternative to hotels, Airbnb shifted its messaging to emphasize the unique and personal experiences that staying in people’s homes could offer. This pivot was encapsulated in their new slogan, “Belong Anywhere,” focusing on the concept of connection and belonging rather than just transactions. This refined message was consistently communicated across all platforms, making the brand synonymous with unique travel experiences. The result was a significant increase in brand recognition, transforming Airbnb into a leading figure in the travel industry.

Determining a tone of voice for your brand helps create consistency across all your content. Defining an underlying narrative is another valuable exercise to ensure your messaging stays on point. This could be using your purpose as a focus test. Or it could be the before and after identity your clients have in terms of engaging with you and using that as a narrative, I.e. I take clients from stuck to accelerating. When you define your narrative, it's a simple case of asking - does this message communicate that?

Messaging doesn't need to be wordy, but it does need to be poignant. With a creative strategy, you can pull off one word at a time, i.e., Strong, Memorable, Spontaneous. As long as the one word you choose completes your overall branding, it will work.

The power of a visual rebrand can breathe new life into your brand recognition! Partner with your creative team to ensure you stay true to your brand identity and your core brand positioning (or update these, too, if your customer/market research calls for it) to develop visual brand elements that truly represent your overall brand. Consider your visual brand rollout as part of your strategy. When and on what channels will you update brand assets, and so what brand assets will you need? Consider owned (your website, social media, any physical products or print materials), and earned (news media, press kits, external bio pages you manage, etc.).

Rebranding as a one-and-done effort is a kiss of death. Get out there to keep your brand top of mind! Once you update your brand messaging and visuals, establish a system for regular engagement in relevant media. Engage your team as brand ambassadors to help represent the brand in various social media channels, communities, events, and forums where your customers are. Develop thought leadership to contribute an original and value-adding voice to relevant industry conversations, and make your customer engagement a two-way street by commenting/sharing/answering questions in an authentic manner. This will help endear customers and influencers to you and generate further word-of-mouth brand marketing.

Ensure your brand resonates with your target audience, and use tools to measure the connections you have received. Create a UGC strategy, utilizing the channels that your target market feels comfortable sharing and connecting with each post you receive.

Continue to bring products and services to market, and if you have no news, CREATE IT! Keep your brand relevant in the minds of your customer base and industry audience by developing a regular promotional schedule. First, consider what you know. What upcoming product releases can you bring to market or what corporate news can you share with your audience to demonstrate an ongoing commitment to innovation? Second, think about where you can fill in any gaps with the most compelling stories for your audience. Perhaps there’s a timely industry event or industry seasonality, or perhaps you can introduce an original piece of thought leadership content to generate discussion and buzz. Keep innovating to keep ‘em talking about your brand!

Analyze market gaps & refine brand identity. Invest in targeted marketing & SEO. Elevate customer experience & engagement. Forge impactful partnerships. Leverage PR & media relations for buzz. Foster community interaction & authenticity. Monitor metrics for continuous improvement.

Building a brand can take years, even decades, but it can also take much less time to be weakened. A brand is never “done”, nor is it invulnerable. Brand building is an ongoing process. A brand must be built on a solid foundation, and then protected every day. Neglecting it is how brands lose recognition and become irrelevant.

Recognition - one recognises a name / brand when he / she have used it, so ensure that Customers experience your products/ services / offerings "THE WAY YOU WANT THEM TO ENJOY". Once they realise the quality of your products/ services / offering RECOGNITION is naturally generated resulting in Word of Mouth....so just go back to basics, define actually how you want your brand to be recognised & just get trials generated - the concern will definitely be addressed!!!