What is Brand Recognition? Definition + Strategies to Develop it

How likely are you to trust a total stranger with your quality of life or the wellbeing of your loved ones? What about your money? Would you give it to them in exchange for something they wanted to sell you? 

If you’re like most people, then probably not. Your customers feel the same way, which is precisely why brand recognition is so important.

Contrary to popular belief, the biggest struggle a brand might face has nothing to do with money or pricing. It’s obscurity. 

Winning people’s trust is a must if you’re serious about converting them to loyal paying customers, and a solid branding strategy is how you get there. 

Here’s a closer look at how you can ensure your customers know exactly who you are and think of you first when it’s time to make a purchase.

What is Brand Recognition?

Brand recognition is exactly what you probably think it is — a term that describes how readily a target audience or demographic recognizes a specific brand. 

However, it’s about more than simply recognizing the name of a brand or one of the products it offers. 

When a brand has achieved a high level of recognition, people also instinctively recognize colors, logos, slogans, and even tones associated with it.

Take Coca-Cola, to name just one example. 

It’s not just the brand name you’re familiar with. You instinctively associate the fonts, colors, design elements, and values Coca-Cola uses in its marketing with the brand and its products. 

You may even use the term “Coke” to refer to pretty much any soft drink, whether or not it’s actually a Coca-Cola product. That’s killer brand recognition in action.

Brand Recognition vs. Brand Awareness: Is There a Difference?

Some would-be marketers see brand recognition and brand awareness as interchangeable concepts. 

But while they are related, they’re not the same thing. In fact, brand recognition is one element involved in the broader idea of brand awareness.

➤ Brand recognition is about whether people can pick your company, products, and marketing element out of a crowd. 

➤ Brand awareness is about building and nurturing a genuine connection between your company and its customers. 

It’s about making sure your audience truly understands that your product is the solution to trust and inspiring them to choose you over any of the alternatives.

Why Does Brand Recognition Matter?

While effective brand recognition does improve a company’s bottom line, money isn’t the only reason it’s important. 

Here are some more examples of how a great brand recognition strategy can help your company get ahead.

It helps your audience trust you

Take a moment to think about the brand names you trust and see as worthy of your business, whether or not you’ve purchased their products before. 

You’re familiar with them, as well as their reputation. 

As a result, you’d probably choose them over a similar company you’ve never heard of if you’re ever in the market for a product or service they sell.

Your customers are no different. The more familiar they are with a brand, the more likely they are to trust it and feel comfortable choosing it over its competition when the time comes.

It enhances your customer’s enjoyment of the product

When it comes to cola, it goes without saying that both Coke and Pepsi are highly successful brands. 

However, while Coca-Cola is the bigger seller and higher performer, it’s actually Pepsi that prevails in blind taste tests. 

So why do so many people choose Coke over Pepsi when Pepsi’s been proven to taste better?

It’s the halo effect generated by Coca-Cola’s branding strategy, hands down. 

The Coca-Cola brand is so recognizable and considered so synonymous with concepts like quality and enjoyment that people will choose it even when a better option is available.

It increases the perceived value of your products

Of course, getting people to a place where they recognize and potentially trust your brand is one thing. 

Convincing them that your products are more than worth what you charge for them is another. 

The higher the level of brand recognition, the less apprehensive a consumer will be about shelling out the money for what you offer.

Apple is a terrific example of a brand with this concept down to a science. Their products are often significantly more expensive than similar options on the market. 

Nevertheless, their customers not only buy them but are also willing to camp overnight outside their local Apple Store to make sure they’re among the first.

What are the Five Stages of Brand Recognition?

Naturally, your customers don’t go from never having heard of your brand to thinking of it as a household name they trust. 

Brand recognition is a process that has multiple stages. They are as follows.

1. Awareness

This is the stage during which you’re getting your name out there, as well as helping consumers associate it with your chosen visuals and slogans.

2. Preference

During this stage, your potential customer learns to select your products over the alternatives. They may do this because of price point, quality, or a previous positive interaction with your brand.

3. Reputation

During this stage, your customer doesn’t just choose you. They’re starting to respect your brand and see it as having a genuine value that exceeds their other options.

4. Trust

During the trust stage of brand recognition, your customer begins to build a sense of attachment to your company and products. The choice to buy from you is no longer just about reliable products but also the personal connection they feel to your brand.

5. Loyalty

During the final stage of brand recognition, you’ve got a loyal customer on your hands. They will go out of their way to buy from you and likely consider their lives incomplete without your products.

You can measure the progress and success of your brand recognition campaign via several metrics. 

Examples include social media mentions, backlink growth, and referral traffic. 

Simply asking your customers direct questions about how they found your brand, why they chose it, and whether they’d recommend it is also helpful. Think surveys and polls!

What are the Best Strategies for Building Brand Recognition?

Now that you know what brand recognition is, why it’s essential, and how it differs from brand awareness, it’s time to start building a plan to be reckoned with. 

Here are some pointers to get you started.

Cultivate a recognizable brand voice

Although snappy visuals and attention-grabbing slogans are essential parts of brand-building, you don’t want to overlook the importance of giving your brand a voice. 

Figure out what’s at the heart of your brand and develop a cohesive voice that embodies that.

Then consistently use it. Integrate it into your social media presence, your advertising material, your company blog posts, and so forth. 

A clear, distinct voice consumers can recognize is an important factor in establishing a connection.

Connect your core values to your products

Today’s consumers want more than great-quality products they can count on to perform as promised. 

They want to feel like their choices count for something, so they’ll need to believe in what your brand stands for and represents before choosing you.

Be authentic when coming up with your brand’s message. 

Then establish clear, discernible connections between your company’s core values and the products or services it offers the public. Your offerings and your brand messaging should always be perfectly in sync.

Meet your customers where they live online

These days, a solid social media presence isn’t just a good idea. 

If your brand isn’t on social media, then it may as well not exist from a brand recognition standpoint. 

However, every social media platform has its perks and drawbacks, so know your target audience and meet them where they hang out online.

Then once you’re there, offer them a quality experience. Share helpful, entertaining content that’s on-brand and of value to your target audience. 

Engage your followers, and be responsive and gracious when they engage you.

Test your efforts and revamp your strategy as needed

Even the best branding strategies aren’t born overnight. Instead, they start with a few good ideas and some testable theories. 

Then the marketers behind them have a look at the data, establish what’s working, and identify what’s not. Then they tweak their ongoing plans accordingly.

Staying on top of industry developments and emerging social trends is also critical. 

Keep yourself in the know as to what your customers are talking about and motivated by. Then bring in new solutions that help bring your brand into even closer alignment with what they’re looking for.

Great brand recognition is all about familiarity, and that starts when you make yourself a daily part of your target customer’s life. 

Meet them where they’re at, speak to them in language that resonates, and pay attention when they tell you what they want.

Wrap Up: Powerful Brands Start with Airtight Branding Campaigns

Your target audience are people first and consumers second. 

A successful branding strategy never loses sight of this and strives to connect with people in terms that resonate with them. 

Establishing a clear brand identity and developing an initial brand recognition strategy is the first step. Learning everything you can about branding is the second.

Our comprehensive brand guidelines bundle can help you get exactly where you need to be. 

Gain access to a dynamic content style builder, helpful sales templates, and more when you get it today!