Brand recognition measures how well consumers understand, like, and trust a company’s brand.
It involves how readily buyers recognise a brand based on its logo, colours, name, or other identifiers.
Strong brand awareness is important because it fosters trust, increases market share, and promotes customer loyalty.
It has a significant impact on consumer behaviour and choices, as well as distinguishing a brand from competitors'.
African entrepreneurs need to be deliberate in the processes of building and sustaining brand recognition, especially in today’s world where in the markets are global and competition is at that scale.
Increasingly global brands dominate in the brand recognition mix compared to the indigenous brands.
This might be attributed to many factors which might be beyond the control of the entrepreneurs, but in this article will seek to dwell on the factors that are within our control as entrepreneurs so that we break the current narratives and position our brands top of the customer’s mind.
Brand recognition aids the process of building trust and loyalty among the customers to the brand.
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The identification of a brand is an essential component in the process of establishing trust and cultivating loyalty among consumers.
It is common for consumers to have greater confidence in a brand when they are familiar with it and have positive associations with it.
Customers are more likely to choose the well-known brand over comparable alternatives due to this trust, which increases loyalty.
When consumers believe in a brand, they are more likely to make further purchases, which benefits the company’s long-term development.
Strong brand awareness gives businesses a major competitive advantage in a highly competitive market environment.
Compared to other brands, a well-known brand stands out, increasing the likelihood of acquiring new consumers and keeping the ones it already works with.
Brand recognition enables a company to remain at the forefront of consumers’ minds while purchasing, increasing the possibility that consumers will select that brand over others.
Due to this competitive advantage, companies can increase their market share and strengthen their position within the industry.
It is impossible to exaggerate the influence of excellent brand recognition on sales and additional revenue.
When consumers are familiar with and have faith in a certain brand, they are more likely to acquire the goods or services it offers.
There is a direct correlation between increasing consumer confidence and increased sales volume, revenue, and market share for the recognised brand.
In light of this, investing in constructing and preserving brand recognition is essential to propelling a corporation’s growth and success.
Having noted the foregoing, we must engage on how to develop a competitive brand recognition regime for the African brand as noted below:
Consistently deliver on customer value: Exceed your customers’ expectations by continually providing great products and services. By doing so, you can foster brand loyalty and generate good word-of-mouth referrals, further strengthening your business’s reputation.
Distinct visual identity: To create a distinct and easy-to-remember visual identity for your company, you should design an uncomplicated yet powerful logo, select a coherent colour palette, and develop an overall aesthetic that is consistent throughout all of your marketing materials.
Brand visibility: Ensure that your brand remains in the spotlight by consistently publishing valuable material, launching advertising campaigns, and having an active digital presence. Consistent marketing efforts will strengthen your brand’s presence in the market and keep it at the forefront of consumers’ minds.
Brand presence on multiple channels: To establish a digital presence for your brand, you need to use various social media platforms. Engage your target audience with captivating material and actively participate in conversations to increase your business’s visibility and interact with potential customers.
Optimise online platforms: Make your website easy to use by ensuring it has a well-organised structure and loads relatively quickly. A flawless surfing experience makes visitors happy and improves your website’s ranking in search engines, making it much simpler for people to locate your business on the internet.
Innovative marketing materials: When developing marketing materials, it is important to create items that stand out and leave a lasting impact. To differentiate your business from the competition, you should ensure that your promotional materials, including commercials, packaging, and promotional items, are original, innovative, and visually appealing.
Organising in-person and digital events will allow you to engage with your existing client base and reach out to prospective new consumers. This will allow you to build a community of loyal customers. Establishing a feeling of community around your business may be accomplished by providing opportunities for interaction, which can strengthen consumer loyalty and bring in new followers.
Measure brand recognition: To monitor the effectiveness of your brand recognition techniques, you should use various measuring methods. Some examples include conducting surveys, monitoring social media, and analysing search volume. By tracking these metrics, you can evaluate the results of your efforts and make well-informed choices to further increase your brand presence.
However, we must remember that brand recognition is not a stand-alone element in brand management but an integral component of the brand management process, hence the need to keep the whole picture when engaging on the same.
Until then, think, eat, sleep, and dream about branding!
*Dr Farai Chigora is a businessman and academic. He is a senior lecturer at the Africa University’s College of Management and Business Sciences. Also a global business modelling practitioner. His doctoral research focused on Business Administration (Destination Marketing and Branding Major, Ukzn, SA). He is into agribusiness and consults for many companies in Zimbabwe and Africa. He writes in his personal capacity and can be contacted for feedback and business at fariechigora@gmail.com, www.fachip.co.zw, WhatsApp mobile: +263772886871.
*Dr Tabani Moyo is an extra-ordinary researcher with the University of North West, South Africa’s Social Transformation School. His holds a Doctorate in Business Administration (Research focus on new media and corporate reputation management, UKZN), chartered marketer, fellow CIM, communications and reputation management expert based in Harare. He can be contacted at moyojz@gmail.com @TabaniMoyo (X)
