How do people recognise brands?

C3Centricity Podcasts

Brand image is expressed in many ways, which can also help brand recognition. Which of them have a face, a voice, an aroma, a unique packaging, a slogan or a sound that immediately identifies them? If they do, what does it bring in addition to the brand in terms of brand recognition? Face One of the first faces I think of for a brand is Flo from Progressive. She has won the hearts of Americans over the years, with her helpful but quirky discussions with potential customers. George Clooney has been the face of Nespresso for many years now. He started as smooth and superior, but over the years he has become more approachable, even funny. There are many other examples of "faces" that we now immediately recognise and associate with their brands. Even if some have been dropped over the years, they still maintain their strong connection: SC Johnson's Mr Clean and the muscle man Quaker Oats and the Quaker. Coca-Cola and the Polar Bear Marlboro and the Cowboy - Darrell Duracell / Energiser and the Pink Bunny Sound / Voice / Tone Besides the faces of celebrities, some brands have adopted a very individual voice or sound. These can be actual voices, such as the infamous Budweiser's Wassup campaign, or the tones used in print advertising, which has become even more important with social media. George Clooney is definitely a smooth talker, at least he was in the first ads he did for Nespresso. With time, he has become more self-deprecating and funny. Both Coke and Pepsi use sound to great effect. Kellogg's believed that the reason for their success was the sound their cornflakes made when they were eaten. Unilever's Magnum is another brand with a distinctive sound. Moving on to the tone of voice on social media: Innocent: Instead of simply advertising its juice products, Innocent posts chuckle-inducing, highly relatable content. Tiffany: mixes product images with thoughtful. It continues its elegant, cool sophistication of its physical presence admirably. Old Spice: Having been successfully relaunched with its "Man your man could smell like" campaign, which was directed at females, it recently moved to a more irreverent and fun tone which is particularly appealing to younger men. Aroma Smell is the only one of the five senses which connects with the right-hand side of the brain. This is where creativity, emotion and hunger are processed, and memories of pleasurable experiences are stored. Branding is about creating an emotional connection with users and therefore aroma is a powerful ally in doing this. There is little logic involved in impulse purchases! For this reason, aroma is being increasingly used to build brand recognition even further. Aroma is so powerful, that some brands have been created or relaunched using it as their USP. Think Herbal Essences as one example. Packaging Colour and shape are important elements of recognition. But packaging goes way beyond this today. A pack can become a brand's signature, whether through its unique form, touch or sound. When thinking shape, Coke obviously springs to mind first, but Toblerone chocolate, Perrier water and Pringles chips also have distinctive packs. Shape can also be used as a differentiator in providing additional benefits. Think about the Heinz Ketchup squeeze bottle or the pump dispensers offered on products from cosmetics to liquid hand wash. Branding is becoming ever more challenging with the explosion of products and new product offers being launched each year. Therefore to stand out from the competition, a brand needs more elements to identify its image and personality. As I have shared, its face, voice, sound, tone, aroma and pack all increase its differentiation and enhance brand recognition. In addition, research shows that stimulating more of a user's senses significantly increase loyalty. It has been estimated that senses account for 25-30% of a brand's revenue! So what are you waiting for?