Brand awareness refers to the extent of a buyer's recognition or familiarity with a name or symbol linked to a specific company and its products. Picture it as the celestial dance of recognition and resonance, where a brand's essence intertwines with the hearts and minds of its audience. Like the captivating constellations, brand awareness illuminates the market research landscape, guiding marketers to understand how their brand's light permeates the vast consumer consciousness. With every glimmer of recognition, a brand forges a connection that transcends mere product knowledge, awakening emotions, and loyalty. Through the lens of sophisticated market research, we embark on a cosmic journey to measure the brilliance of this phenomenon. It's more than just counting stars; it's about deciphering the intricate patterns that shape the trajectory of brands, enabling us to craft stellar strategies that resonate with the world.

Kevin Lane Keller emphasizes in his work, "Strategic Brand Management,"  the significance of brand awareness as a fundamental element in constructing consumer knowledge of a brand, which he refers to as "brand knowledge." Brand knowledge is shaped by two essential components: brand awareness and brand image. Then we will talk about brand awareness first, which surpasses mere recognition and delves into both conscious and subconscious levels, allowing consumers to understand the product better and ensure its remembrance for future buying decisions. The ability to categorize products also plays a vital role in fostering brand awareness.

Why is Building Brand Awareness Important?

Brand awareness is the main foundation for great marketing strategy and brand growth. When consumers have high brand awareness, they are more likely to choose the product or service of that brand compared to its lesser-known competitors. Not only recognizing we also need to carry out further introduction by conducting promotions so that your brand name continues to be embedded in the minds of buyers. When you want to buy or suggest another product to a friend, your brand is immediately remembered and becomes the first choice. A high level of brand awareness also helps create an emotional bond with consumers, builds trust, and reduces risk in purchasing decisions.

In the same book, Keller stated that brand awareness consists of brand recognition and brand recall. Brand recognition is consumers' ability to confirm prior exposure to the brand when given the brand as a cue. In other words, when they go to the store, will they be able to recognize the brand as one to which they have already been exposed? Then, brand recall is consumers' ability to retrieve a brand from memory when given the product category, the needs fulfilled by the category, or a purchase or usage situation as a cue.

Suppose many consumers' decisions are made at the point of purchase, where the brand name, logo, packaging, and so on will be physically present and visible. In that case, brand recognition will be necessary. If consumers' decisions are primarily made in settings away from the point of purchase, on the other hand, brand recall will be more critical. Therefore, it becomes evident that brand awareness significantly influences consumer choices during the product evaluation stage before purchasing. As a result, brand owners should prioritize this aspect to ensure the long-term sustainability of their brand.

Advantages of Brand Awareness

Brand awareness is a vital aspect that fosters brand recognition and instills trust, loyalty, and emotional connections with consumers. With brand awareness as our guiding light, let us now embark on a deeper journey to explore its multifaceted impact, uncovering how it shapes consumer behavior and propels brands toward lasting prosperity. Discover the secrets behind a well-known brand's triumph as we delve into the power of brand awareness, as a true potential in marketing.

Here are the benefits of creating a high level of brand awareness!

• Learning advantages: 

Brand awareness influences the formation and strength of the associations that make up the brand image. We must first establish a brand node in memory to create a brand image. The first step to building brand equity is registering the brand in the consumers’ minds. 

• Consideration advantages: 

Elevating brand awareness grants the brand a coveted position in the consideration set—an exclusive club comprising only a handful of brands that are seriously contemplated for purchase. As consumers weigh their options, a brand with heightened awareness enjoys a significant advantage, as it has already secured a coveted place in the minds of potential customers.

• Choice advantages:

The third advantage of creating high brand awareness is that it can affect choices among brands in the consideration set, even if there is no other association with those brands. For example, consumers consider well-established brands their primary consideration when purchasing skin care products. Still, in low-involvement decision settings, a minimum level of brand awareness may be sufficient for product choice.

These manifold advantages of brand awareness transcend mere recognition and delve into the realm of consumer psychology, instilling trust, credibility, and a sense of familiarity that cements the brand's position in the hearts and minds of consumers. As we journey deeper into brand awareness, we shall unravel how it propels brands toward lasting prosperity and marketing success.

Building Brand Awareness

Surely you must have been very familiar with this slogan:

"Apapun makanannya, minumnya Teh Botol Sosro.”

Or, lately, you must have been exposed to this jingle:

“Pengiriman cepat, gratis ongkir.”

Think of brand awareness as a divine light that illuminates the whole mind of consumers so that it can indirectly lead them to mention things related to your brand — like the slogans and jingles of the two brands above. Building brand awareness means increasing the brand's familiarity through exposure to what consumers see, hear, and think about the brand. These brand elements take a long time to register in the consumer's memory properly.

The brand element can include names, symbols, logos, characters, packaging, and slogans, including advertisements, sponsorship promotions and event marketing, publicity and public relations, and outdoor advertising (OOH). Do all of these brand elements have to be carried out or owned by a brand? Of course, this requires a comprehensive study and strategy to determine what elements, who the intended target is, and through what media this communication activity will be carried out. The choice of more than one brand element for each communication activity will provide a solution for target audiences with different focus tendencies, ranging from consumer types who tend to focus more on visuals, and audio to text.

So start by creating a brand node, an indelible mark that sparks curiosity and leaves a lasting impression. Create a compelling brand image, weave heartfelt stories, and create lasting emotional connections. Stories are full of charm, captivate, and create emotional bonds. As you traverse the constellation of media channels, choose those that match the essence of your brand, reaching new potential customers.

Also, learn the power of influencers as your cosmic allies, leveraging their gravitational pull to amplify your brand visibility. Remember to always focus on data. To track consumer insights, track your brand trajectory, and customize the channels used to convey information about your brand. And Clove Research is extremely excellent used to doing that; market research by assisting big brands in determining the proper channels for carrying out marketing activities, significantly strengthening their branding so that it can be more embedded in consumers' subconscious. With bonuses, you can extend the business's life with continuous profits or sustainable business.