In marketing, top-of-mind awareness is the name of the game, and it should be your goal when you advertise your product or service.
In advertising, top-of-mind awareness refers to being the first name that leaps to mind when a consumer thinks of a given industry or product. It’s a certain type of brand awareness that can’t just be bought, and it’s worth its weight in gold. Consider shipping services; if pressed, people tend to associate the field with FedEx and UPS above other third-party service providers. Or, you might consider soft drinks, where Pepsi and Coca-Cola reign supreme.
So when marketing your brand, ask yourself if your company has top-of-mind awareness, and if it doesn’t, how can you achieve that status? Here are five techniques to becoming the first name in mind for your field among customers.
Five Tips for Gaining Top-of-Mind Awareness
1. Stand above the competition by promoting a unique selling proposition.
Odds are your company already has a unique selling proposition (or USP for short). If you don’t, you should consider adopting one. A USP tells consumers what unique benefit your company or brand offers that makes it stand out from the crowd. For example, the frozen pizza brand, DiGiorno, uses the slogan, “It’s not delivery. It’s DiGiorno.”
The slogan immediately keys in the customer on all kinds of details, like that it’s restaurant-quality food without the wait and the brand identity itself.
Now, consider how your unique selling proposition can inform customers. Identify your USP, articulate it clearly and consistently, and use it regularly in your marketing communications. Keeping a USP or slogan clear and memorable is a great way to build top-of-mind awareness.
2. Curate a memorable and consistent visual identity.
Sticking in the mind of customers is as much about being immediately recognizable as it is about clear communication. Consider the brands that are immediately identifiable through their logo, design colors, mascot, or spokesperson; for example, everyone recognizes McDonald’s golden arches logo, even from a mile away.
When you’re selling your brand, keep a consistent look across all marketing channels, from social media to company stationery. You can go a step further and even use templates to keep your branding hyper-focused, preventing brand dilution.
3. Stay out there and in view.
Even though a one-time advertising campaign can get out your message quickly, it’s rarely enough to stay in the public view long enough to gain top-of-mind awareness. Instead of opting for a marketing blitz, consider building credibility and recognition through consistent and timely communication in your marketing channels. Regular and predictable marketing campaigns might lack the glamor and spectacle of larger, high-profile campaigns, but keeping your communications constant is a great way to keep your brand in the public conversation for longer.
4. Use multiple touchpoints to help you build an audience.
Staying in consumers’ minds is about reaching out in as many ways as possible. In the digital world, reaching as wide an audience as possible is a game of diversification; no one, singular platform is enough. Direct mail, for example, is an effective way to reinforce a personal bond between you and your customers, while digital marketing campaigns help stay in view of online users. Customized letters and thank-you notes create a feeling of interpersonal connection in customers, while also helping them track new products and services.
5. Timing is everything.
The art of gaining top-of-mind awareness while not becoming a nuisance in the minds of customers is a delicate balancing act. When you coordinate your marketing efforts, strategically plan your outreach and audience communication so that you remain helpful and don’t overstay your welcome. It’ll be tricky and require both dedication and organization on your part, but the perks of top-of-mind awareness speak for themselves.
Staying Above a Busy Marketplace
In the modern market, consumers have more choices than ever before, so staying above the competition is tantamount to success. So if you’re looking to stand out amidst the crowd, consider what PMI can do for you. PMI provides creative marketing solutions to the Bay Area, and our team of professional experts has the skillset needed to build your brand’s top-of-mind awareness. So, reach out to us, and let us know what we can do to help you expand your brand’s reach.
