When we think of brands such as Ford, McDonald’s, KFC, etc. our minds are flooded with logos, ads, franchises, and even taglines. How many times have we caught ourselves remembering ad jingles that played between our favourite shows as a child. That shows the impact brands are capable of having on our minds. Needless to say, this is the ultimate goal of every brand – to become unforgettable.

In marketing lingo, this kind of market presence where potential clients can recognise your brand through its visual identity or product/service is called Brand Awareness. We’d often associate excellent brand awareness with the brand becoming synonymous with their product/service (think Xerox and Google). However, for brands of different fields and sizes Brand Awareness can also mean:

• The customer is aware of your brand

• Search Engines using your business name in their search options

• Your followers on Social Media platforms engage with/recognize your brand

What is Brand Recall?

Brand Recall is a very important component of Brand Awareness, which is used to measure this “imprint” your brand leaves on its customers. When a customer comes across a component of the brand, visual or audio, and can instantly and accurately associate it with a brand or its products and services.

Notice how it wouldn’t take you a fraction of a second to associate a giant yellow ‘M’ with McDonald’s, or the tagline ‘Finger Lickin’ Good’ with KFC. This shows the brand’s reach and authority over their respective USPs, as well as their ability to build a connection with their audience. But these are fairly old brands that have built their legacy over the decades. Should we talk about some ‘modern’ brands? The “da dum” of Netflix or the a-to-z arrow-smile of Amazon are etched into our minds; apps such as Ola and Uber have replaced the term “cab/taxi” in our dictionaries.

This makes you wonder… How do they do it??

A one-word word answer to that is – consistency. However, it’s not that simple. It takes cultivating an organic dependable relationship with one’s customers over time. Allow us to take you through some of the factors that contribute towards building a connection with the customers that could lead to good brand recall in the long run.

How You Can Build Good Brand Recall For Your Brand

There are many elements to a brand – visual (logos, social media templates, posters, and hoardings) and audio-visual (taglines, jingles, advertisements). Being able utilise both these mediums to offer the customers a brand they can connect with is the goal of cultivating a positive Brand Awareness. So

1. Shaping the Brand: Cultivating a well-rounded presence in the market starts with establishing the brand’s identity. This would include designing a neat logo that depicts your brand accurately; building a story surrounding its origins, growth, aspirations, and values; and communicating the same with consistency in all of the brand’s communication.

2. Managing Brand Reputation: Once in the market, sticking to the brand’s core values becomes essential. A well-rounded brand cannot showcase inconsistency in their tone or their inherent values (supporting environmental organisations and using ecologically detrimental raw materials in their factories). Once the communication with the customer has been established, all efforts should be made towards maintaining consistency in the tone and voice of the brand.

3. Humanising the brand: No customer wants to deal with a brand that’s mechanical or lifeless. In order to connect with its customers, one needs to be able to showcase emotions and share in the customer’s journey. Some successful methods of doing so could be narrating a story, observing festivities and celebrations, and connecting with causes and movements that one’s customers support.

By aiming at cultivating excellent brand awareness and recall, not only can a company boost its sales and gain a competitive edge, but it can also take a larger market share and step forward as a leader. It is essential for a brand that is looking to build a legacy and leave its mark on the market. It is not just a marketing tool but an investment.