Do you remember a time when you called instant noodles by what it is instead of ‘Maggi’?

When you order at your local mamak, or when you ask your youngest sibling to cook instant noodles in the middle of the night, it’s always been ‘Maggi’ even though you may be eating another brand.

So which do you think this story represents; brand recognition or brand awareness?

Aren’t they the same?

These two terms may sound identical, but they are actually two separate sides of the same coin!

While brand awareness means your target audience is aware of your brand’s existence, brand recognition resembles how your brand is embedded in people’s everyday lives.

Before we get into brand recognition a little deeper, let’s briefly recap brand awareness!

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What is Brand Awareness 🔍

In short, brand awareness is your brand’s presence in the public’s eye. 

The first step to any business is making people aware that your brand exists!

Shout your brand at the top of the world if you must 😆📢

Brand awareness is all about getting your name out there and letting people know you have something to offer them.

But it takes a while to reach a wide audience, so don’t give up and trust the process! As long as you’re consistent, your brand awareness will steadily grow into an empire.

Maggi for sure did not give up, and as we all know, the Maggi empire now is undefeatable! 

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Image credit: Maggi

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Brand awareness is important to build customer confidence and establish trust in your Unique Selling Point and brand differentiation. 

Strong brand awareness also increases customer loyalty and influences people to recommend your brand!

Did you know, 90% of people trust recommendations from their close relationships while 74% of consumers made their purchasing decision based on word-of-mouth-marketing?

And what better way to raise brand awareness other than engaging with potential customers, right 😆

So, don’t forget to bring your A game for your brand awareness strategy and get ready to go viral!

Now that you’ve recapped the basic foundation of brand awareness, let’s move on to brand recognition! 

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What is Brand Recognition 🧐

Brand recognition is how a brand is unconsciously embedded in our everyday lives and most of the time, we don’t even realise!

Think about it! If it wasn’t for Maggi, what would you be calling instant noodles in Malaysia? Mi segera? That just sounds wrong on every level 😂

Image credit: Maggi

And when you need to search for something on the Internet, the majority of us say ‘Google it’! Google is more than just a brand now, it’s a verb, a workstation, an academician! 🔵🔴🟡🔵🟢🔴

It just goes to show how much brand recognition has subtly taken over our lives and we don’t even know it… 👀

Let’s be real, reaching Maggi and Google’s level is not an easy feat!

That’s DECADES of smart work and creativity 😮‍💨 That’s good inspiration for the rest of us.

 

⭐ Brand Recognition Strategies ⭐

As you may already know, brand awareness and brand recognition goes hand-in-hand. Both are equally important to ensure your brand’s survival in the long run.

In order to generate more sales, you’ll want to expand your brand awareness into brand recognition.

Here’s a few know-hows to get the attention you want from your target audience and turn it into brand recognition. 

 

1. Being familiar among the locals

For starters, don’t take the locals lightly! Being familiar among the locals is vital. 

This will help your brand stay at the top of their minds whenever they feel ready to make the purchase!

Use every platform that’s in trend to get your brand visible and make sure to mention the services or products you have in store for them!

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Image credit: Coca Cola

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This includes traditional marketing strategies like brochures, billboards and branded merchandise. 

 

2. Concentrate on your target audience

Believe it or not, your target audience will indirectly tell you how you can attract their attention. 

If your brand is targeting Gen Z’s, look at what’s trending on TikTok. Look at the funny sounds and slangs and utilise them to attract attention and relate to your target market!

If your brand is targeting 40 to 50-year-olds that are running a business, take a look at what’s working on LinkedIn or Facebook.

This will help you build content plans and marketing strategies that revolve around your target audience and their general interest, making your content the center of their attention!

 

3. Creating interesting content

What I mean by interesting is not just the way you edit videos. Because let’s face it, nowadays, most videos are simple edits or compilations of short clips.

I’m not entirely discrediting professional video editors in any way at all though 🥲🙅🏻‍♀️

Having interesting content that consists of various content pillars assists in building your brand recognition.

Shopee is a well-known brand that targets the youth because their content is mostly relatable and amusing. Thus, their brand is recognised as young and energetic to the people.

@shopeemy Berdekah ek buat #actingchallenge trend ni 🤣🤣 Admin memang tak gheti nak serious dik ahahahhaha #shopeemy ♬ original sound – Shopee Malaysia

 

Your content doesn’t necessarily have to be factual all the time. You might find humour to be your best friend when it comes to getting your brand the attention it deserves!

 

Image credit: McDonalds

5. PR Campaigns

Take it a step further and work on PR Campaigns.

Getting featured in the media brings forth the people behind the scenes and ultimately humanises your brand.

Take the chance to tell the personal story of how your brand came to be.

When you are open to sharing your brand’s story, the general public will more likely be emotionally attracted to your brand. 

And these customers are less likely to jump ship when new competition comes along because they know your connection is more precious. 

 

Key Takeaway 🔑

Brand recognition stems from excellent brand awareness that is planned around a solid marketing strategy.

How to know if your marketing strategy is solid? Measure your brand awareness, attend brand strategy workshops and open your minds to learning more about the evergreen topic. 

With the right people, and the right strategies, you’ll be able to boost your brand recognition in due time.