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Many of the most successful brands only need one simple image, a few seconds of a jingle, or a few words of a slogan for consumers to recognize them. Think Apple, McDonald’s, or Amazon: in an instant, you can likely recall all sorts of details about each business just by seeing or hearing a piece of their content.
Just about every brand on the market strives for that sort of strong, split-second recognition. Of course, that’s not something that happens overnight. It comes with strategic planning and long-term commitment to your brand development, including some of the tips below!
Post Consistently
An effective brand is like a good friend, it’s always there when you need it, and maybe even when you don’t even know you need it! In other words, posting regularly increases your brand’s chances of remaining top of mind for your consumers.
Highly recognizable brands can take years to build. And in today’s digital-first world, they are established through a consistent content plan. From email to social media and beyond, make sure in whatever media you are reaching your audience, you are doing so frequently.
Create Relevant, Shareable Content
In addition to posting consistently, a key component of that content should be that it is something your target audience will relate to, interact with, and share with friends. Organic social engagement can be tough to earn but is extremely valuable in building strong, authentic brand loyalty and brand recognition.
This is where audience research comes into play. What platforms are your target audiences using? What topics do they like to follow and discuss on their accounts?
On Twitter, many brands, such as Wendy’s or MoonPie, have leaned into the style and voice their audiences love. They’ve transformed into casual, humorous accounts that play into memes and other social trends, and even poke a little fun at their followers. This approach has been extremely successful in both brands building large followings that keep consumers tuned into the brand.
So, while fast food and marshmallow snacks may not initially scream “cool, trendy Twitter account,” these brands have effectively inserted themselves into a space their audiences live, further building strong brand recognition every time they appear on a user’s timeline.
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Listen to Your Audience
Not every first idea is going to be a home run, and that’s OK! A crucial part of building brand recognition is listening to and evolving with your customers so you can remain relevant in their lives.
McDonald’s is a great example of this. The brand has leveraged many popular musical artists such as Travis Scott, J Balvin, BTS, and Saweetie to create custom meals for customers to order. These artists are popular with young adults, the same people who may nostalgically look back at Happy Meals, and who appreciate a good deal.
This activation not only strengthened its brand recognition by retaining and bringing back customers but also created the recognition opportunity for new customers, such as fans who may not have engaged with the brand prior.
Establish Strong Design Standards
Colors, logos, and themes of the most successful brands are easily recognizable and identifiable because they have remained consistent through time and across media platforms. While rebranding is not always a bad idea, doing so too often, especially in crucial growth stages of your business, can drastically hinder progress in brand recognition. It is natural for a brand to evolve as time progresses, but some components should stay consistent to retain that recognition.
A branding guide is a great way to ensure that as a brand grows and more people become part of the content process, the standards can remain the same. This guide might include things such as approved fonts, colors, and language to use (or not use) across your website, social media, ads, and more. By establishing these rules, your brand has a much better chance of creating strong recognition for a consumer who may see your brand, for example, first in a YouTube ad, and later in a Twitter post.
Overall, building strong brand recognition is a long-term process that requires planning, strategy, and consistency. It may seem like a tall order, but once you get in the habit of staying in tune with your audience and trying new tactics to attract them, consumers far and wide will know who your brand is in a snap!