What is brand recognition?
Brand recognition refers to a company’s ability to be identified based on certain features, like a logo, jingle, or slogan. Auditory and visual elements set the brand apart from competitors.
Companies create brand recognition by strategically crafting visuals and audio, often with the help of a brand strategist. They then use this messaging consistently across platforms until customers associate them with the company and automatically remember them.
Digital asset management software helps companies define and control brand elements. These platforms, which allow for the storage of digital media files, are used by creative teams, like marketing and advertising.
Stages of brand recognition
Building brand recognition is a process for companies. Many marketers recognize five distinct stages of customers becoming familiar with a company’s brand identity.
- Brand non-recognition. Customers don’t recognize your brand at all. They may have encountered it, but it hasn’t registered because its visual and verbal cues aren’t different enough from those of competitors.
- Brand awareness. The brand is making an impact. Customers know a company by name and understand what it offers.
- Brand recognition. In this stage, customers recognize a brand by simply seeing a logo or hearing a slogan. The brand has a unique, ubiquitous identity that customers know well.
- Brand preference. Customers go beyond simple recognition and move into a stage of preference. They have had enough positive experiences with the brand to feel that its products provide more value than a competitor’s.
- Brand loyalty. Customers who prefer a brand keep returning over time, even as new brands and products launch in the marketplace or minor problems arise. In this stage, people also begin to advocate organically for the product and brand.
Brand rejection is another concept or stage that can occur at multiple points along this continuum. If customers have a negative experience with a brand, they may avoid it altogether. They have brand awareness or recognition, but want nothing to do with the company.
Benefits of brand recognition
With a recognizable brand, companies can experience increased value and revenue. Some of the specific benefits of brand recognition include the following:
- Increased consumer trust. Consumers are often uncertain about purchasing from an unfamiliar company. Brand recognition elevates a company to a household-name status, making it seem like a more trustworthy choice.
- Higher pricing capabilities. Brand recognition leads to brand equity, meaning a company can set higher prices than companies without this competitive edge. People are often willing to pay more for a product with a recognizable logo.
- Improved competitive edge. Brand recognition differentiates companies from competitors. In a crowded marketplace, it can be the key factor that leads to a company’s staying power.
Brand recognition best practices
Building brand recognition doesn’t happen overnight – it takes time and dedication. Some best practices for making expediting the process include:
- Creating a unique personality. Building a stand-out brand means making a brand identity that’s one-of-a-kind. Companies should create a congruent suite of fonts, colors, logos, and icons that fits their values and resonates with their audience. Written and audio messaging should also match the overall personality of the brand.
- Engaging with customers. Interacting with customers across social network platforms connects them with the company as they become familiar with the brand’s elements. Businesses can also increase visibility by making in-person appearances at places where customers congregate in real life. For instance, a bottled drink company could provide free samples at a local park or festival.
- Overdelivering. Providing consistently high-quality products or services elevates the brand’s image in the eyes of the customer, making them more likely to provide positive word-of-mouth marketing. Creating outstanding experiences also builds trust and loyalty, cementing the brand as one to remember.
- Generating content. Companies that create content, like blog posts, videos, and social media posts, provide value to customers for free. Not only does this help form a bond, but it also continues to get the brand’s name and likeness out into the world. If the content is share-worthy, it may generate new interest in the brand.
Brand recognition vs. brand awareness
Brand recognition and brand awareness are two terms used frequently in marketing. While both terms connect to customers’ perceptions of a brand, they have separate and distinct meanings.
Brand recognition is when people effortlessly recognize a brand by interacting with its attributes. For instance, if customers see golden arches, they’ll likely recognize it as being McDonald’s.
Before a company achieves brand recognition, it needs to create brand awareness. At this point, customers understand that the company exists. If they hear the name McDonalds, they know what it is and what it offers.
If you want to take your brand identity to the next level, start looking for a branding agency.
Kelly Fiorini
Kelly Fiorini is a freelance writer for G2. After ten years as a teacher, Kelly now creates content for mostly B2B SaaS clients. In her free time, she’s usually reading, spilling coffee, walking her dogs, and trying to keep her plants alive. Kelly received her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Notre Dame and her Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Louisville.
