Brand Marketing: Amplify Your Brand Awareness

The degree of reach a product or brand has among the consumers determines the sales of the item and, thereby, the growth of the company. Thus, having the right brand marketing strategy is essential to introduce and popularise your product among consumers.

Revenue can increase by up to 23% by maintaining a consistent brand presentation across all platforms. Brands that completely invest in omnichannel marketing strategy are expected to retain an average of 89% of their consumer base by 2025.

Brand marketing helps businesses create brand equity, promote their product lines, and understand the further steps required for building a potent marketing strategy.

When you think of some of the most successful brands, such as McDonald’s, Dominos, Nike, Sephora, Apple, Samsung, etc., have you ever wondered why they are so successful? Obviously, the product quality is good, but the other major factor that contributes to their success is branding.

Let’s begin by learning more about brands, branding, and brand marketing in detail.

What Do You Mean By a Brand?

A brand is a product or service created by a company with a unique identity. The special features differentiate one company from its competitive brands. 

A brand is built by elements of design, logo, name, and tagline that are chosen according to each company’s packaging and advertising needs.

There are three types of brands-

• Corporate Brands- A corporate brand describes an organisation as a whole. Its major aim is to build a consistent corporate image through business activity, corporate strategy, and brand stylistics. Only the top management can change corporate brands through a strategy shift.

• Personal Brands- A personal brand is a mixture of skills, experience, and values that make it different from others. To differentiate a brand’s value, it will have to do more than just maintain a good reputation. A personal brand is mainly about the values that it outwardly represents. To build a personal brand, it is important to align your values with the organisation’s goals.

• Product Brands– Product brands are a company’s individual products, which are the foundation of the brand. Some popular product brands are Coca-Cola, Zara, Apple, and Nike. 

Brand Marketing: A Description

Brand Marketing is the strategic plan to increase brand recognition and loyalty. It is a slow-drip strategy that focuses on marketing a business or product by telling its brand story.

Effective brand marketing is about building an emotional experience for customers that goes far beyond the product or service. This marketing includes numerous elements, such as company name, logo, social media presence, website design, in-store experience, packaging, and much more.

Brand marketing helps establish and grow a relationship between a company and its customers. Marketers opt for brand marketing because it does not just emphasise a product or service; rather, it promotes the entirety of the brand. 

Different marketing channels are available to elevate brand marketing, such as digital marketing and paid search advertising. You can use a mix of all to create a tailored brand marketing strategy.

Know Some Related Terms: Brand Equity, Brand Attribute, and Brand-consumer Relationship

Let us understand some of the common and related terms to brand marketing.

1) Brand Equity

Brand equity is the value premium a company generates from a reputable name compared to a generic equivalent. Strong brand equity means that customers know your brand well and are loyal to it. You can create brand equity for products by making them memorable, reliable, superior in quality, and easily recognisable.

Brand equity is measured by comparing these metrics-

• Brand Awareness
• Brand Loyalty
• Brand Preference
• Financial metrics

2) Brand Attribute

It is the brand traits that resonate with clients’ personal characteristics and feelings. Brand attributes characterise your brand, including its core values, consistency, and characteristics, without looking at what you do or sell. It helps the brand to stand out from the competitors and be recognised by customers.

3) Brand-Consumer Relationship

It is the connection between your brand and its customers. It is important to evaluate whether that relation is strong or weak, positive or negative and whether customers are functionally or emotionally attached to your brand. A good connection can help convert one-time buyers into lifelong customers.

Branding Vs. Marketing: The Difference

Many people think that branding and marketing are the same, but there is a massive difference between them. Let’s explore this.

Features	Branding	Marketing
Definition	Branding includes everything related to a business, such as why a company exists, its mission, values, concepts, and much more.	Marketing is basically about promoting and monetising the company’s products and services.
For whom	Branding is particularly for customers	It is majorly for business
Motive	It is done to build customer loyalty	It helps increase the customer base
Drives	Enduring reputation	Periodic sales
Influences	It influences buying decisions plus aims to leave an impact on the customer’s mind	It influences customers to buy the product instantly

Significance of Brand Marketing

Here are the reasons you should use brand marketing to grow your business-

1) Increased brand awareness and recognition

The market today is cutthroat, regardless of your industry. Customers have numerous alternatives to choose from, so your success depends on your brand’s visibility. Brand marketing helps highlight your uniqueness and gives customers a reason to choose your brand over others.

2) Improves customer loyalty

Brand marketing instills a sense of trust and loyalty among consumers. Constant brand marketing will make them aware of your product and keep them coming back for more. This can be achieved by delivering quality products and services, providing excellent customer experience, emphasising customer data security and privacy, and establishing open lines of communication.

3) Keeping it unique

The primary benefit of brand marketing is that it can highlight your product’s USP and help you stand out. You can focus on the unique points of your product while branding.

4) Boosts company value

More than doing branding is required to convert your leads into sales. The customer must connect to your brand emotionally as well. Brand marketing focuses on your brand’s personality. If you design your campaigns methodically, consumers will resonate with your brand and help build a loyal following. However, it is important to keep your efforts consistent and agile to shine out in the race.

5) Helps in the customer journey

The insights you get while doing brand marketing give you a better understanding of your customers’ likes and dislikes, as well as how they feel about your brand. You can analyse your marketing campaign and see what works better. This will improve the customer experience and also enhance your future brand marketing campaigns. In fact, it will turn satisfied customers into brand advocates who will promote your products voluntarily.

Effective Brand Marketing Strategies of Some Popular Businesses 

A lot of big names in the market use brand marketing effectively to promote their product, which has helped them become so successful. So, let us know about their brand strategy and how you can implement it in your business.

1) Nike- Just Do It Campaign

Who does not know this brand? Nike is a global sports apparel company. Its brand marketing strategy involves selling more than a product: it involves selling a story. Nike markets its brand not just to sports athletes and enthusiasts but also to the common crowd. Their ‘Just Do It’ campaign inspires people to overcome challenges and has become the brand’s signature slogan.

It aligns with the brand’s mission to bring innovation and inspiration and focuses on inspiring positive feelings in the audience regarding fitness. This campaign started in 1988, wherein in one of the ads, an 80-year-old marathoner explained how he runs 17 miles every morning. It portrays that everything is possible and encourages people to opt for a healthier lifestyle. 

This campaign built an emotional connection with the audience, and in no time, they chose their tagline, ‘Just do it,’ which became very successful and still is.

2) Apple- Think Different Campaign

Apple promotes its products using numerous marketing angles that speak to all of its target audience. There are numerous mobile phone companies, but nine of them are as popular as Apple. Apple is no longer just a brand; instead, it has become a phenomenon. Their brand strategy has created a ripple that has transformed the way the world sees brand marketing.

This campaign established Apple as one of the most innovative gadget brands. From its beautiful white packaging to its amazing tagline and event-like product launches, Apple’s brand marketing makes people feel they require Apple products to uplift their lives.

The ‘Think Different Campaign’ became a hit because it resonated with everyone: the crazy ones, the misfits, the innovative and sensible ones.

3) Starbucks

Coffee lovers can never cross Starbucks without picking up their coffee. Isn’t it? 

Starbucks is a global coffeehouse chain famous for its roasted coffee and wonderful ambiance. Their brand marketing strategy is to provide a “third place,” an environment between home and work where people can feel relaxed while sipping coffee. This attracts people; they go there to have coffee and sit for hours doing their work or spending quality time with their loved ones.

Their other unique strategy is a rewards programme in which they provide customers points for purchases, exclusive perks, and personalised offers.

4) Coca-Cola- Share a Coke Campaign

Coca-Cola has made a pact to meet customers where they are to experience joy, such as stadiums, theaters, etc. All of their campaigns hit the customers emotionally, and one of the most successful amongst them was the ‘Share a Coke Campaign.’

The campaign was unique. It involved changing the original “Coke” logo with “Share a Coke with…” and mentioning an individual’s name (250 most popular names in each country). This made a personalised experience for consumers.

Steps to Develop an Efficient Brand Marketing Strategy

We have mentioned a few steps to keep in mind while creating a brand marketing strategy-

1) Understand your brand’s purpose

The first thing you need to do is understand your brand’s existence and ask yourself a few questions, such as:

• Who are your competitors?
• What is your target audience?
• What is the USP of your business?
• What customer issues do your brand solve?
• Would your customers trust you?

Based on the answers, you need to create the logo, tagline, and brand marketing campaign.

2) Understand your target audience

It is important to understand who your products and services are meant for. To gauge your target audience, you will have to do market research and identify their choices, demographics, behaviour, and needs. For example, if you are selling low-budget vehicles, your target audience will be 18 to 25 years of age.

3) Define and sell your story

Sell your brand’s story by conveying the right message. Your brand identity is the core essence of your brand; you can create the story around it. Develop a story that has all the elements, such as resolution, characteristics, and essence. Keep the story simple and ensure that it connects with your audience. 

For example, on farms for 30 years, organic food has been grown to offer the community healthy and nutritious food.

4) Analyse your competitors

Just like knowing your audience is important, it is also essential to know your competitors well. Do research about them and see what is different in you as compared to them, and then focus on this USP while doing brand marketing

5) Implement, Monitor and Refine

Implement your brand marketing strategy across all the channels where you can approach your target customers. Furthermore, it is even more vital to monitor its effectiveness so that you can modify the strategy accordingly. See what works best and try to use it in every marketing campaign.

Mistakes to Avoid While Creating a Brand Marketing Strategy

Remember, a brand can never be built just by adding a few catchy lines on social media or designing a good-looking logo. Brands have to invest a lot of time and effort in doing research, identifying competitors, and having expert professionals for consultation. 

Whether you are running an established business or starting a new venture, branding mistakes can be costly and can affect your revenues and market reputation. Thus, if you do not want to alienate your target audience, avoid all these mistakes while building a brand marketing strategy:

1) Inadequate research

One robust foundation on which your brand marketing strategy is built is the research you conduct. This research provides insights into market trends, consumer behaviour, and competitors. It is especially important when you are starting a new venture or launching a new product or service. 

Without proper research, you may not be able to understand what established businesses in your industry have done and why they have failed or succeeded. 

2) Resonate with your audience 

Understanding your audience provides insights into their unmet needs and expectations of your product. This allows businesses to adopt, build, and execute a robust selling strategy to meet their audience’s demands. 

3) Inconsistent branding across different platforms  

If you remain inconsistent in your branding across different platforms, such as your website, social media accounts, ads, packaging, and print materials, or business cards, you will lose customers’ trust and never be able to spread awareness to the right market.   

Brand consistency increases brand awareness and brand value. This means that when your customers recognise your brand, they are likely to make a purchase and commit to your company for the long term. 

4) Solely relying on design trends

Design trends significantly impact branding by influencing visual appeal and customer experience. However, these trends typically burn bright and burn fast in the rapidly evolving world. Thus, using new design trends as inspiration is recommended rather than redesigning the strategy based solely on what’s hot. This is because when a new trend becomes passé, it can impact your brand perception. 

5) Ineffective copywriting

Copywriting is one of the most crucial elements that can shape your business’s branding and marketing strategies. By crafting compelling content, you can tell a story to connect with your customers and communicate your brand’s message, values, and USPs to your prospects.  

Not focusing on copywriting can impact your brand positioning. The things that make copywriting ineffective include too much fluff, using passive voice, a long message that does not resonate with or move your audience, or no formatting. 

6) Not focusing on first impressions

Your brand will go unnoticed if it has a clunky design. You may have a great product design that offers incredible features and excellent customer service, but not prioritising visually appealing presentations will let people fail to notice your product. 

Thus, new ventures or startups need to build a brand marketing strategy in light to show their brand’s credibility and bolster its overall appeal. It will help you make an excellent first impression, and your audience may forgive any stumbles in the future. 

7) Taking feedback from the wrong sources

Customer feedback is a valuable tool for predicting changing market trends and identifying their needs and expectations alongside new growth opportunities. Their feedback will also let you know what they want, how they behave, and what they expect from the products and services. 

Now, if you want to sell a product to your target market, you will need to get feedback from the right sources. By taking feedback from the wrong or unethical sources you won’t be able to set or measure appropriate goals. The best way to consider customers’ feedback and act upon it is by getting direct reviews from family, friends, or relatives and by checking them on social media and review sites.  

8) Not knowing the purpose of your company

It is important to let your audience know the reason your company exists. This can be conveyed by telling them what you do, why you do it, and how you do it. These are the significant pillars of creating a compelling brand marketing strategy. Apart from your products and services, it is your organisation’s mission, vision, and values that can set you apart from your competitors.  

Current Developments in Brand Marketing

Here are the top striking branding trends of 2024:

1) Personalisation

Personalisation is a potent branding trend in today’s dynamic landscape. It is the key to standing out from your competitors and connecting with your audiences. 

In 2024, numerous brands started providing personalised experiences to their customers by sending customised messages and information catering to their interests, demographics, and buying behaviour. The best part about this strategy is that it builds customer loyalty by letting customers feel that the message was made just for them. 

2) Short-form video content

It is recommended to create short-form videos to increase brand awareness and build a deeper connection with your prospects. These videos can allure and maintain viewers’ attention. Furthermore, they deliver a quick, impactful message that resonates with your audience. 

Short-form videos are quicker and easier to create than long-form videos. As these videos require less time to create content and convey your message, you can cover a wide range of topics faster. Moreover, the majority of viewers favour short-form videos, as everyone can’t afford to invest minutes or hours in watching long-form video content.    

3) Influencer marketing

Influencer marketing is one trend that is here to stay. To expand your audience reach, you can collaborate with influencers who have thousands or millions of followers and constant engagement on social media platforms. 

These influencers promote your products or services to their audience, which will impact their purchase decisions. This will help increase brand awareness and gain recognition from the influencers’ audiences. 

4) Native advertising or sponsored content

So, what is native advertising? Native advertising is when your brand features content on a third-party website to promote itself to a new audience who might otherwise never get to know about you or your product. Unlike traditional advertising, this type of ad can be found on social media, content recommendation platforms, search engine results, or in campaigns.  

5) Leveraging AI

AI is known for its ability to automate and streamline processes that allow businesses to focus on other important tasks. Using AI technology will also help analyse trends and patterns, understand customers’ behaviour and preferences, and create effective brand marketing campaigns. 

6) Keeping things real

Brands are embracing neutral, human language that feels conversational and honest. So, there is no real benefit you can get by making unrealistic promises. When customers will get to know about them, it will impact your business.   

Conclusion

You must build your brand thoughtfully to maintain its uniform identity, representing the core of your business. Understanding the pain points of your target audience and providing them with the right solution is the key to developing brand recognition, growing a loyal customer base, and establishing yourself as a potent source in your niche. So, supercharge your marketing with the above-discussed effective tips and create a branding strategy that makes you unique. 

Build your excellent marketing strategy to keep your brand elevated for years to come!