How to increase brand awareness

Customers make decisions quickly. And brand awareness determines the first level of contact with a potential buyer. A recognizable brand attracts attention more easily, inspires trust, and reduces sales costs. In this article, we’ll look at what brand awareness is, why it’s important, which tools and channels work best, how to measure the result, and how to build a campaign in practice.

What is brand awareness?

Brand awareness is a measure of how easily people can identify your brand among others. It reflects not only knowledge of the name or logo, but also how the brand has become entrenched in the minds of consumers through visual, emotional, and semantic associations.

There are 5 types of recognition, which we will discuss later. In addition to rational knowledge, the emotional component plays an important role. A brand that evokes pleasant feelings, such as a sense of reliability, joy, or inspiration, is more likely to be remembered. That’s why stories, symbols, visual repetition, and a consistent style of communication are key elements in building long-term recognition.

Why brand awareness is important for business

People choose not just products, but names they trust. That’s why the level of brand awareness directly affects a company’s financial performance, from the cost of customer acquisition to long-term loyalty. According to Nielsen and Forbes, brands with high brand awareness have an average 60% higher conversion rate and 3-5 times cheaper customer acquisition. Below are five key reasons why it is beneficial for businesses to invest in this indicator.

1. Reducing the cost of customer acquisition (CAC).

When a brand is well known to the audience, potential customers have fewer doubts and make decisions faster, which reduces the company’s cost of acquiring one customer. In fact, a familiar brand does not have to «sell» its identity from scratch, but can get to the essence of the product right away.

2. Higher conversion rate due to trust.

When the brand is familiar to the audience, the user does not need to be further explained who you are and why you can be trusted. This shortens the decision-making cycle and reduces advertising costs. As marketer Kurt Ulrich emphasizes:

In other words, the stronger the brand perception, the less effort is required to turn interest into a purchase.

3. Price and margin support.

Brands with high recognition gain the advantage of being able to charge higher prices because consumers perceive them as more valuable. And this allows for higher margins, as lesser-known competitors are forced to focus on price as a competitive factor.

4. Resilience in crisis conditions.

A well-known brand is better able to withstand periods of instability: it has established trust and a wide presence, which helps it maintain market share and recover faster from shocks. For example, when consumers see a brand they trust, they are more likely to stay with it even during financial or reputational challenges.

5. Easier scaling to new markets and product launches.

When a brand is already recognizable, entering a new market or launching a new product is much easier because a significant part of the «introductory work» has already been done. The audience is familiar with the name, values, or image. And high recognition also reduces marketing costs when scaling and accelerates the return on investment in new areas.

Stages of building brand awareness

Building brand awareness is a gradual process in which a company moves from complete obscurity to the status of a trusted brand that is the first to be mentioned. Each stage has its own objectives, success indicators, and promotion tools:

Zero recognition

At this stage, the target audience does not yet know about the brand, has no idea about its products or values. The main goal of the business is to create the first contact and convey basic information: who we are and why you should pay attention.

Recommended actions:

• mass advertising campaigns (Meta, YouTube, TikTok, outdoor, digital-PR);
• partnerships with media or influencers to reach new segments;
• clear positioning with a clear benefit for the client.

The task of this level is to appear in the field of view of the audience and get the first recognition.

Recognition with a hint

The brand is already familiar to some of the audience, but it is remembered only if there is a clue, such as a list or a logo. People remember seeing the brand, but they don’t always understand how it differs from competitors.

It helps to strengthen the brand at this stage:

• consistent use of visual identity across all channels;
• short slogans that summarize the main idea;
• stable frequency of brand appearances in relevant contexts.

The goal is to increase the share of recognition among the target audience by creating a stable presence and positive impression.

Absolute recognition

At this level, a consumer can spontaneously recall a brand without any prompting when the need arises in the relevant category. This is an indication that the brand has become entrenched in the mind.

Promotion tools:

• storytelling, content with a strong emotional component;
• recognizable symbols, musical or visual elements;
• user experience and real reviews that form associations.

The key task is to make the brand a natural response to the consumer’s request («which smartphone to buy?» → «Apple»).

The advantage

The brand is no longer just familiar – it is trusted and consciously chosen. People consider it to be of higher quality, more convenient, or closer to their values.

It helps to maintain the advantage:

• strong customer service and consistent product quality;
• social evidence (reviews, ratings, case studies);
• clear positioning that emphasizes the difference from competitors.

At this stage, emotional attachment is formed, which directly affects repeat purchases and long-term loyalty.

Loyalty (Top-of-Mind / Advocacy)

This is the highest level when the brand becomes the first in the consumer’s memory. It is not just chosen – it is actively recommended, associated with the category, and becomes a brand advocate.

Tools to maintain this status:

• loyalty programs and referral systems;
• engaging ambassadors and community campaigns;
• personalized content and communication that enhances the sense of belonging.

At the Top-of-Mind stage, the brand reaches maximum trust: it does not need aggressive promotion because it has a strong emotional connection with customers and a high level of recommendations.

Methods for measuring brand awareness

Measuring brand awareness is essential for determining the effectiveness of marketing efforts and understanding where the brand stands in the minds of consumers. This process includes both traditional offline methods and digital approaches, each of which provides valuable information about brand perception and market position.

Surveys and focus groups

One of the classic methods is surveys and focus groups. They allow you to determine the level of spontaneous brand recall, when the respondent names the brand without any prompts, as well as prompted recognition, when the brand is recognized among several options. In addition, these studies evaluate the emotional perception of the brand – how it is associated with values, moods, or needs. Focus groups provide an opportunity to analyze in more depth which communication elements are working and which need to be adjusted, which makes this method especially useful in the early stages of brand development.

Digital metrics and online analytics

Digital platforms allow you to measure awareness in real time. These indicators include the number of mentions of the brand in social networks and media, the brand’s share of voice among competitors in a particular topic, and the tone of these mentions, which allows you to track positive, neutral, and negative reviews. Additionally, search query and brand traffic analytics helps to understand how many people are actively searching for a brand and visiting a website by its name. Digital analysis allows you to quickly adjust communication campaigns and respond quickly to changes in brand perception.

Evaluating the effectiveness of advertising campaigns

It is also important to evaluate the impact of advertising campaigns on awareness. Metrics such as ad recall or brand awareness increase show how well the audience remembers the brand after watching an ad. Reach and frequency of contacts allow you to estimate how many people have seen the brand and how many times, and content engagement metrics (likes, comments, reposts, or video views) demonstrate the level of interest and engagement of the audience.

Consumer behavior analytics

Consumer behavior analytics also reflects the level of brand awareness. Repeat purchases, conversion rates, and loyalty indicators demonstrate how well the brand is entrenched in the minds of customers. Analyzing the average check, subscriptions, downloads, or leads allows you to see how awareness affects financial performance and the length of the customer lifecycle.

Offline data and external indicators

Traditional ways of measuring awareness should not be ignored. Retail sales and market share reflect the real consumer choice, while PR indicators, such as the number of publications, citations, and participation in ratings and awards, help to assess media influence. In addition, participation in events, exhibitions, and conferences allows you to collect direct feedback from participants and assess the level of engagement in brand activities.

What tools increase brand awareness?

Let’s take a look at the key tools that have the greatest practical effect in building brand awareness.

Combine channels according to the brand’s stage, measure results quantitatively and qualitatively, and prioritize repeatability of messages over one-off promotions.

How to increase brand awareness

Increasing brand awareness is not a set of single activities, but a systematic work on the brand image, its presence in channels, and value for the audience. Therefore, it is worth remembering the key principles of brand development that form a solid foundation for increasing awareness.

1. Consistency. Consistency in visual and verbal identity is the basis of recognition: the same logic of using the logo, colors, fonts, and tone of messages in all touches allows the audience to identify the brand faster. Consistent templates for advertising creatives, posts, and presentations reduce recognition time and minimize confusion in communications.
2. Distinctiveness. To be noticeable, a brand must have clear signaling elements – a unique visual sign, a memorable slogan, or a short melody that distinguishes it from competitors. Investing in testing ideas with real audiences allows you to find exactly those elements that are easily fixed in the memory.
3. Relevance. Recognition only works when the message resonates with the needs and context of the audience. You need to talk not about yourself, but about what is important to the client. Segmentation and adaptation of messages to each group can increase response and reduce noise in communication.
4. Frequency of contacts. The issue is not only the number of contacts, but also their regularity and quality. The optimal frequency of impressions ensures that the image sticks, but excessive repetition of causes rejection. A smart media mix with alternating image and useful messages, as well as retargeting, have a lasting effect.
5. Content quality. Creative should be simple, clear, and useful: investments in script and production are justified when the material creates an emotional or practical connection with the audience. Poor content destroys trust faster than it can be rebuilt, so editorial standards and quality control are a must.
6. Storytelling and emotional connection. A strong story gives context and meaning, turning a name into an image and value. Personal cases, stories of founders or customers create an emotional connection that is harder to forget. Regular inclusion of storytelling in creatives increases the chance of spontaneous brand recall at the right time.
7. Omnichannel approach. Channels should work as a single ecosystem: offline activities are reinforced by digital, video by text materials, and PR by social media. A map of touchpoints and consistent messages ensure consistency of experience at all stages of the customer journey.
8. Measurability and hypotheses. Each activity should have a specific KPI and evaluation method. Only regular hypothesis testing and data-driven optimization can increase the effectiveness of awareness investments. Control groups, brand awareness studies, and analysis of branded and unbranded traffic provide a clear picture of the impact.
9. Focus on product experience. The best advertising is a product that delivers on its promises. Satisfied customers generate organic recommendations that have a high trust factor. Collecting feedback, optimizing the customer journey, and promoting UGC turn users into brand advocates.
10. Partnerships and collaborations. Relevant partners open up access to new audiences and add to the brand’s social capital. Joint products, webinars, or cross-campaigns amplify messages faster than isolated initiatives. The choice of partners should be based on audience complementarity and shared values.
11. Localization and adaptation. Content and messages should be adjusted to the language and cultural characteristics of the market to avoid misunderstandings and increase response rates. Testing local hypotheses and engaging regional ambassadors speeds up brand consolidation in new markets.
12. Long-term investments. Awareness builds up gradually: budgets for increasing brand awareness should be planned as capital investments for 6-12 months, with part of the resources for testing and part for scaling. This approach avoids stingy but ineffective one-time actions and ensures sustainable growth.

How to integrate brand awareness into your overall marketing strategy

Integrating brand awareness into your overall marketing strategy isn’t just about adding another goal to your plan. It’s a process that makes image initiatives directly dependent on business goals, resources, and mechanisms that produce measurable results. The sequence of actions that will help make recognition a systematic part of marketing is as follows:

Alignment of goals begins with clearly defining how increased awareness should impact the business. If a company wants to increase the number of leads, it is logical to set a benchmark in the form of an increase in brand searches or the share of leads that come after contact with the brand. When the expected results are formulated, all subsequent stages, from creative to budget, are built around them much more accurately.

Next, you need to set KPIs for the entire funnel. The upper part of the funnel focuses on reaching and growing brand memory, the middle part on engagement and influencing perceptions, and the lower part on business indicators that are reached by image activities. This approach allows us to understand how advertising contacts gradually turn into real commercial results.

After that, a budget model is formed: the ratio between brand investments and performance activities is determined, as well as the rules for revising the proportion. This avoids chaotic redistribution of funds and ensures sustainability in promotion. The next step is to build a detailed roadmap. It records periods of activity, channels used, key messages, seasonality, and product events. Such plans allow you to coordinate marketing, sales, and PR without losing focus.

To make campaigns measurable, you then need to set up unified analytics: system UTM tags, integration with CRM, tracking of general events and conversions. This makes it clear how each contact affects customer behavior and which tools make the greatest contribution. At the same time, experiments are being implemented – testing creatives, audiences, channels, as well as increasing brand awareness and control groups. The experimental approach allows us to determine the real incremental effect, not just correlations.

Another important element is the synchronization of marketing and sales. Creatives should match the actual product, and sales teams should receive materials that allow them to close leads quickly. This minimizes the gap between customer expectations and the experience of interaction.

Further development of the system ensures the cyclical nature of optimization. Regular tests, monthly analysis, and quarterly strategic reviews allow you to constantly improve the effectiveness of tools and adapt to behavioral changes in the audience. It’s also important to build management processes, from creating a brand playbook to approving creative. This ensures consistency of style and simplifies team interaction.

Integration of feedback provides a deeper understanding of consumer reactions: NPS data, reviews, insights from customer service teams help to adjust messages and identify new opportunities. For projects operating in different markets, localization is also a critical element. Adapting the tone, visual presentation, and content significantly increases the relevance and effectiveness of campaigns. The final stage is the creation of crisis scenarios. Timely monitoring of the tone of mentions, ready-made response templates, and clear internal procedures help control the information space in critical situations.

Integrating all these elements into a single system ensures a controlled, measurable increase in awareness. And when awareness indicators are logically tied to business goals, the brand strategy begins to work not only for the image, but also for real indicators of revenue, loyalty, and long-term competitiveness of the company.

Olha Tyshchenko

Editor

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