There’s an interesting phenomenon regarding brands. You may see a brand repeatedly, but after seeing it 100 times, you will likely forget it within five minutes. On the flip side, there are brands…the brands that somehow seem to stick in your mind for no apparent reason. You’ll remember how they “sound,” “feel,” or perhaps even what they represent-even though you’ve never purchased from them.
Therefore, while I am going to discuss recognition, as well as memory, these are two completely separate game plans.
Recognition Is Simple. Memory Is Difficult.
Most individuals focus on creating brand awareness. In their minds, creating awareness means increasing the number of impressions/views/posts/everything. While increased exposure does matter….to a degree.
Herein lies a truth that nobody usually verbalizes.
Seeing a brand doesn’t necessarily mean remembering a brand.
You can pass by a brand 10 times per day and still not care. This is not due to the fact that the product itself is poor; however, absolutely nothing about the brand has stuck. There was no distinctive personality, voice, or cause to pause for even a split second.
Background noise. People are very adept at ignoring background noise.
The Brands That Remain in Your Mind Are Generally…Human
I’m fairly certain that you will find that the brands you actually do remember-recognize-but can describe when asked about…are slightly more human.
They tend to possess a tone that is consistent (yet not mechanical)
They sound like someone-not something.
They don’t attempt to appeal to every single individual.
And yes, sometimes they even become somewhat messy. Opinionated. Flawed.
The idea is basically that humans tend to remember other humans. Not some polished corporate voice which obviously has been vetted through multiple layers of management (since they probably were).
Voice Is Performing Much More Work Than You Probably Acknowledge
Many individuals treat brand voice as simply another check off list item. Friendly? Check. Professional? Check. Clearly stated? Of course.
However, voice is not merely about sounding appealing. Voice is about sounding unique.
For example, if somebody reads your social media post without your logo…would they know its you?
If the answer is no, then the voice hasn’t developed enough yet.
Furthermore, this applies universally:
Social Media Posts
Emails (especially email communications)
Copywriting for websites
Product descriptions…and so forth…
It’s essentially all part of the same communication process. At least theoretically, it should be.
Consistency Builds Familiarity (However, Avoid Repetition)
Consistency is important. Extremely important. Consistency is exactly what creates a relationship between a first-time viewer/reader/customer and subsequent views/readings/customers.
Nowhere do people mess up consistency versus repetition more than they do today-they confuse the two concepts. Consistency is not doing the same thing repeatedly-it becomes monotonous quickly. However, a consistent atmosphere-that is to say tone-personality-vibe-can exist in many forms.
Similar to how an individual can speak on many subjects but still appear to be speaking for themselves.
An Emotional Connection Can Be the Shortest Path to Remembering
This is where things begin to fall apart because it’s difficult to quantify-“feeling” cannot easily be placed in a spreadsheet to be tracked.
Yet it carries far greater significance than almost any metric.
Individuals remember how something makes them feel-not specifically what was said-the actual promotion/offering-or even possibly the specifics in general terms.
Simply put, they remember the feeling.
Was it funny?
Was it relatable?
Was it authentic?
Even minor feelings such as an honest-sounding caption-an un-marketing-esque email-a genuine product description etc.-all carry weight. It doesn’t require grand gestures-it requires genuineness.
Don’t Try to Appeal to Everybody – Only Those Who Matter
Attempting to appeal to everybody is likely the quickest route to total obscurity. When you dilute your message to become “safe,” you’re eliminating your edge-and it’s the edge that people remember.
It is perfectly acceptable-if not preferable-that your brand won’t appeal to everybody. Many people may dislike it-this is perfectly fine-they never were your target audience anyway.
A clear perspective-even subtly-provides individuals with a focal point to cling onto.
Yes, some individuals may dislike your perspective-these aren’t the people you wanted anyway.
Small Details Can Make a Big Difference
This is the area where most people fail to concentrate.
Not the large-scale advertising campaigns-large scale launches-each and every large scale campaign…the small details each and every day.
How your checkout process communicates
Your purchase confirmation e-mail
How your packaging communicates
Even how your website handles errors (yes-serious business)
Each of these represents areas where character slips in-or doesn’t slip in. And when done correctly-small details create this quiet sense of familiarity-over time. None of it loud-nothing obvious-just a constant flow of similar signals stating-we are who we are.
What Creates a Memorable Brand?
It is not one thing. It is a blend of several elements.
Some voice, some consistency, some emotion-and an absence of attempting to sound like everyone else.
To summarize (always messy, yet still):
1. Sound like a person-not a corporation
2. Be consistent-yet not repetitive
3. Cause people to experience some type of emotion-even if it’s a small one
4. Stop attempting to attract everyone
Additionally-what could possibly be considered the largest factor…
CARE ABOUT HOW YOU SHOW UP-AND NOT JUST HOW OFTEN.
Since frequency without personality is merely a form of background noise-it’s extremely challenging to become visible again once you fade into the background.
Anyway. That’s the distinction.
Not simply being viewed-but truly being recalled