Logo My Ego: Establishing Brand Awareness

 To understand the importance of establishing, presenting, and managing brand awareness I'm going to conduct a small and short social experiment. I have chosen three completely different brand images that are so prominent within today's market and I'm going to present them to you one at a time. I'm not a gambling man because quite frankly, I'm not that good at it, (no seriously, I can't even win on penny slots), but I'm willing to take the bet that you will be able to name the company, it's products, and marketing message within the span of five seconds.  Let's play the hand and to increase the ante to make this a little more interesting I want you to think of the first association that comes to mind after I present each image to you. Are you ready? Ok, let's make it happen captain!

I know you know this logo. Score one for me!
 Do you automatically associate this image with the feeling and concept of luxury and class or do you think of manufacturing and reliability?

Just Do It! Add another tally under my name!
  When I see this image I automatically picture Air Jordan himself dunking from the free throw line with his tongue hanging out as if he were a drunken sailor. Or would this image create an immediate association with the term "swoosh" and its reliant athletic footwear?

  It's a clean sweep! Pay the Man!
 Does this image offer a direct representation of its products such as the iPhone, iPad, Mac, or iTunes? Or, do you instantly associate this image with innovation and the phrase "they have an app for that?"

I have a confession. I rigged the game in my favor, and even though Mercedes Benz, Nike, and Apple provide completely different products and services, they do share a common bond. All have developed a strong core brand presence within the market (name, image, product, services, etc.) through aggressive branding and consistent marketing/advertising. Providing a consistent brand and message develops a strong relationship between a company and its consumer that only grows in value over time (like tapping a nail with a hammer).

A brand name or image is the MOST IMPORTANT thing a company can own. A brand is to a business or company what character traits and individuality is to a person. One can say that it can be considered a promise or guarantee between a company and its current and hopeful consumers. It can often be the deciding factor when setting yourself apart from the competition, especially within a difficult market. When a company or business establishes a definitive brand it creates a influential affect by implementing a memorable image or positive association with customers and allows customers to feel good, warm, and fuzzy about a particular product or service.

A brand is the golden key to breaking through the cluttered market place. There is the phrase "don't throw rocks within a glass house," but when it comes to brand marketing that phrase does not apply. Take the phrase "don't throw rocks within a glass house" and imagine that the rock is a company's brand and the glass house is the cluttered market place. Why not throw the rock? If your main objective is to separate and differentiate yourself from your competition, why not hurl that stinky cheddar causing shattered glass and golden illumination?

With great power, comes great responsibility. A company's strong brand can be a powerful tool in today's market, but it must be managed, measured, positioned, and put to work in order to become successful. Managing the brand "is not an activity you can accomplish overnight or purchase "over the counter" from  an advertising agency. A successful brand is built over time from the hundreds and hundreds of little things a company does right (both internal & external components)."-The Complete Idiot's Guide to Marketing (please don't judge; its a valuable reference)

A company's brand's performance and strategy must be measured and gauged to ensure its success and influence on consumers. There are various marketing initiatives that can either shift or measure a brand which include internal or external consumer surveys, focus groups, and questionnaires. To measure a brand, there are two simple questions that need to be answered:

1. Is your target audience aware of your existence?
2. What do they associate with your brand or message?

Positioning and marketing go together like lamb and tuna fish or peanut butter and jelly. Positioning a brand creates top-of-mind awareness amongst consumers. A strategically placed brand and its location provides a company's message and offering a unique position in the psyche of potential consumers. "There's a fundamental law of physics that says no two objects can occupy a same space at the same time." This is also true when it comes to marketing and positioning a brand. One company or business leads their competitors in any dimension that can be measured, whether its prices, selection, or customer service.

For a brand to accomplish its individuality and strong presence it must put on the gloves, be put to work, and can't be afraid to get dirty. Putting a brand to work means that it needs to be consistently integrated into everyday operations and every aspect of a business and must trickle down from the "big wigs" at the executive level to the very last details of color scheme, display, and packaging.

Establishing a brand can be compared to baking a batch of delicious cookies from scratch. In order for a successful batch to be baked it requires a recipe with the appropriate ingredients( name,image, product, innovation, price, geographical location, etc.) and the instructions must be followed accurately(measuring, managing, positioning, and consistent integration). Even if I had an enormous glass of milk, I don't think I would enjoy a burnt or bland cookie.

FUN FACT: "One of the ways the human mind handles the barrage of advertising it receives is to pick something to believe and then hold that notion until forced to change."- T.C.I.G.M.