The Impact Of Branding On Consumer Perception & Behaviour
Two significant brands can impact consumer perception and behaviour: intrinsic and extrinsic. An extrinsic brand is designed to elicit an emotional response in the consumer. On the other hand, an intrinsic brand elicits an emotional response because it represents something meaningful to the consumer.
Consumers often do not know what brand they are buying from. The brand is an invisible aspect of the product which influences consumer perception and, ultimately, consumer perception.
Brands can be powerful and can affect consumer perception and behaviour. Brands are powerful, even subconsciously. Consumers are more likely to buy from a familiar brand than an unfamiliar brand. This article explores how brands influence consumer perception and behaviour.
To get more people to click on your ads, it is imperative to understand what consumers associate with your brand.
Understanding the Psychology Behind Branding
Brands can play on our emotions. By associating a brand with something pleasant or negative, people will respond emotionally to that brand. For example, when we hear the word ‘love', we imagine something pleasant. When we think of the word ‘death', it conjures up images of loss and sadness.
Brands are also associated with authority and power. When we associate a brand with something powerful, we can begin to identify with the brand. We feel like we are part of a team. It is like we have a connection with the brand, which feels reassuring.
Brands have an association with personality. We can recognise a particular personality behind a specific brand, which can be good or bad. When we see Coca-Cola, we associate it with a happy, wholesome person.
Brands can also be associated with status. When we see a Bentley, we associate it with a rich person. This is because the brand has a strong association with status.
Brands are also perceived to be more trustworthy than individuals. People associate the brand with a company that has existed for a long time and has a history. Therefore, they think the brand will be there for them if needed. The brand also suggests quality and dependability.
We associate the brand with something stable and consistent. This means that brands appear to have a personality, making people feel more comfortable and confident around them.
Brands are a powerful tool that is used to promote products and services. There are many benefits to brands. Understanding the psychology behind branding is vital to ensure that the strategy is executed correctly.
Why Brands Fail to Attract Consumers
Firstly, consumers are influenced by branding messages designed to persuade them that their brand is the best, most expensive, etc. and by advertising campaigns that appeal to their emotions. These are ‘top of mind', and their opinions are formed quickly.
The second reason is that brands see themselves as commodities, so they feel entitled to a particular lifestyle they expect to receive from a product. They may feel cheated if this lifestyle does not happen.
The third reason brands fail to attract consumers is that they focus on the wrong audience. Consumers are not just consumers – they are people who have their values, lifestyles and aspirations. And they are not looking for a brand to meet these; they are looking for a connection with a brand that reflects their needs, values and aspirations.
The fourth reason brands fail to attract consumers is that they confuse their target market with a larger demographic. This is most likely to occur when a brand has been established as a lifestyle brand. In this instance, the brand assumes that because it appeals to one group of consumers (i.e. women or people under 30), it will also appeal to another group of consumers (i.e. men or people over 30).
And finally, the fifth reason brands fail to attract consumers is that they don't understand how people respond to brands. People are influenced by the brand they are in contact with. This is because our brains are wired to respond to familiar stimuli.
How to Communicate Your Brand's Value
In this digitalisation era, businesses compete against each other by focusing on their product and price. Customers are more educated about their products and aware of the companies they buy from. Therefore, businesses must develop a strategy to create brand awareness.
In today's fast-paced world, customers are less likely to trust businesses and are likely to avoid buying from them if they don't understand the brand's value. You must communicate your brand's value to ensure your customers understand it.
Communicating your brand's value is a process that begins with understanding your customer's perceptions of your brand.
1: Understand your customer's perceptions
You must first understand your customer's perceptions to communicate your brand's value. Understanding your customer's perceptions is essential because it will help you build better relationships with them.
When it comes to your brand, it is essential to know what your customer perceives about it. When people think about your brand, they have certain perceptions about it. They may think that your brand is expensive, unreliable, or slow. Once you understand these perceptions, you can take the necessary measures to reduce them.
2: Analyse your brand's strengths and weaknesses
Once you understand your customer's perceptions, it is crucial to analyse your strengths and weaknesses. It is essential to recognise your weaknesses to focus on improving them. This will help you communicate your brand's value more effectively.
An excellent way to do this is to ask your customers about what they like about your brand and what they dislike about it. Ask them what they expect from your brand. This will help you create a more valuable product.
3: Focus on your brand's unique qualities
Understanding your customer's perceptions and analysing your brand's strengths and weaknesses is essential. However, it is equally important to focus on your brand's unique qualities.
To communicate your brand's unique qualities, it is crucial to focus on what makes it different from others. When you focus on what makes your brand unique, you can build a relationship with your customers.
For instance, your service quality differentiates your brand from others. You should focus on these qualities and highlight them in your marketing messages.
The Power of Brand Associations
The brands that use brand associations to create strong relationships with their consumers are the ones who have the edge over others. There are different brand associations; each has its importance and strength.
The brand name creates certain types of associations, and these associations have a positive impact on the consumer. When you associate a brand with a specific product or service, it makes the brand look good. The brand looks more robust and credible because the consumers believe it can provide a good service or product.
There are some types of associations that the brand name has with the consumers and are harmful. These negative brand associations will make the brand look bad in the eyes of the consumers. This is why companies need to be careful while creating these associations.
In the same way, the consumers also have different perceptions that play an essential role in influencing consumer behaviour. When a consumer associates a brand name with a specific product, then the consumer will use that brand for a specific purpose. The consumer will buy if the brand name is associated with a good quality product.
Understanding how the brand name is associated with a particular product is imperative. Consumers form brand associations and are influenced by the brand's image and products.
Here are some of the brand associations that influence consumers.
The lifespan of the brand
This association is formed when the brand is associated with a long-lasting product. If you think the brand can give you a good service, it will also give the same service for many years.
Quality of the product
When you associate the brand name with a quality product, then it means that the brand will offer you the same quality product for many years. This is why many people prefer to associate the brand with quality products.
The price of the product
When you associate the brand with a cheap product, then it means that the company will sell you a low-quality product. This is why people will always associate the brand with cheap products.
Brand reputation
When you associate the brand with a good reputation, then it means that the company will provide you with a good service or product.
The power of brand associations is tough to understand. Some of us don't like to associate the brand with anything, but most like to associate the brand with a good quality product. So, if you want to increase your sales and revenue, then make sure you associate the brand with quality products.
How to Make a Strong Connection With Your Audience
Why do people buy your product?
People buy your product because of the connection with your brand. In the same way, if your audience does not like your brand, no one will buy your product.
The primary purpose of branding is to attract the audience's attention to your brand. So, if you plan to launch a new product, you need to understand the connection with your audience.
Some practical ways to make a strong connection with your audience:
Understand your audience
Before starting your brand, you should know your audience well. Know the interests of your audience, their needs and wants. Do some market analysis and research to understand your audience's buying behaviour.
Research the competition
If you don't know about the competition, exploring it is an excellent opportunity. If you find that your competitor has a stronger connection with the audience, you should learn from their approach.
Use the right language
Language plays a crucial role in branding. You might lose your audience if you do not use the correct language in your branding. So, it is recommended that you use a specific language understandable by your target audience.
Focus on the product
If you don't know what product you are launching, then it is better to focus on the product. It is a fact that the quality of your product determines the success of your brand. So, you must ensure that your product is unique and has a strong connection with your audience.
Build Your Own Brand Strategy
Every business has the same goal, but how they achieve it is different. Building a brand strategy is one of the best ways to boost consumer perception.
A brand strategy is a process by which companies work to achieve their goals. Brands have to be consistent to build a solid reputation. In addition, brands should not forget about their values. A good brand strategy always has the following features:
- Define the purpose of your brand
- Define the value proposition
- Define the customer personas
- Define your target audience
- Develop the brand positioning
- Develop the marketing mix
- Develop the brand assets
- Create a brand promise
- Communicate your brand promise through advertising and promotion
Many brands have failed because they did not have a strong brand strategy. They had a brand strategy, but they could not implement it. If you want to build your brand strategy, here are the tips you need to know:
- Set clear brand objectives
- Be clear about your brand promise
- Designate a brand identity
- Develop a brand voice
- Think about your brand values
- Develop your brand story
- Develop the brand experience
- Identify your core customers
- Analyse your competitors
- Focus on your brand's future
- Establish a brand mission statement
- Make sure your brand is consistent
The Importance of a Good Brand Identity
It is a well-known fact that consumers buy a product not because of its features or price but because of its brand image. Nowadays, everyone is familiar with brands, but it is always important to understand that a brand is not just a logo; it is the name that people identify with the product.
Branding is not just limited to the product, but it is also used for the services provided by the company. For example, a good brand identity can be applied to hotels, restaurants, and websites.
What are the reasons for brand identity?
There are various reasons why a brand is essential. First, it is a handy tool that makes the company reach out to the target audience. A brand is essential to help a company create a good image among its customers.
A brand helps to build trust and loyalty among the customers. A brand is also instrumental in marketing strategies. If you are using a specific company's product, it is vital to identify it using the same name and logo.
Branding can also help a company to earn a positive reputation. For example, if you are providing excellent service to your customers and using the same name and logo for it, then it is sure that your customers will feel satisfied with you and be loyal to you.
Why Your Brand Should Have a Purpose
If you don't know the reason for your existence, then you are not aware of the real purpose of your brand. Your brand represents your business, product, services, and company. A brand is the most powerful tool for branding your business. It is your identity, and it is the most crucial aspect of the success of your business.
It's one of the biggest questions facing business owners today. Why should people buy products or services from your company? And how should you create that purpose?
Here's the thing about brand purpose. People don't just buy products from businesses; they buy into brands.
They want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. But how can brands make that connection with consumers? How do they tell their stories and create a meaningful connection with the world around them?
The answer is to connect your brand with a greater purpose. A larger purpose is more significant than your business and has a broader impact.
And while the concept of brand purpose is relatively new, it's quickly taking hold. In 2022, over $30 billion was spent on purpose-driven companies alone.
Using the Language of Brands to Get Your Message Across
Brands and brands' messages have a lot to do with how customers feel and what they believe about them. Customers often judge brands by their logo, website, and social media profiles. It is therefore vital to understand what your brand stands for and why your customers should choose your products and services over others.
This will help you establish an identity and your brand as a thought leader in the market.
The first step toward establishing a successful brand is identifying your target audience. This is essential as it gives you an insight into what your brand stands for and what it is trying to communicate.
Next, you must understand your brand personality. This is crucial because it will help you to establish what your customers want and needs. Your brand personality should communicate the benefits of your brand to your target audience. This is because it is through the personality that the audience will determine whether they like or dislike your brand.
After identifying your target audience and understanding your brand personality, developing a brand strategy is next. A brand strategy will help you to align your brand with your company values and mission statement. A brand strategy helps you to establish a clear and coherent brand vision.
You should develop a brand strategy based on the target audience. For instance, if your target audience is students, you should focus on developing a brand strategy that appeals to them. This means you should create unique and creative marketing strategies to promote your brand and communicate the benefits of your brand to your target audience.
Once you have developed a brand strategy, you must use it to communicate your brand. This includes using your brand personality to communicate your vision and brand in the best possible way.
In addition, it is essential to have a consistent brand experience throughout your entire customer journey. A brand experience is a way a brand communicates to its customers. A good brand experience will communicate your brand personality and ensure that the experience is consistent and memorable.
The Importance of Visual Communication
We are living in a world where the customer is king. The consumer has a massive influence in today's society, and most businesses must learn how to connect with the consumer. When a business properly understands the consumer and his needs, it will help the business grow exponentially.
One of the essential aspects of any business is communication. If you want to develop a good rapport with your customers, then you should understand what the customer wants and how you can provide the best solution to the customer.
Consumers often don't like seeing a company with poor visual communication. It is a universal truth that the consumer perceives visual communication much better than text-based communication.
Studies have shown that when the consumer is in a room that has poor lighting conditions, it is more difficult for him to read the written content, and it is also difficult for the consumer to recall the information.
It is also important to note that the consumer spends much time on the internet, and most information is conveyed through visual communication. So, if the visual communication is not good, it will be a problem for the business.
Visual communication is critical because a consumer is a visual person who always looks for the best visuals. Consumers with the best visuals will spend more money on the product or service.
Conclusion
There is no question that brand plays a huge role in consumer perception and behaviour. This is true in both the offline and online worlds. However, when we're talking about digital, it's very much a two-way street between companies and consumers.
With digital, consumers can interact with brands much differently than in the physical world. A brand can communicate directly to consumers through social media, messaging platforms, or even an app. In return, consumers can express their opinions and expectations about a brand. So when we talk about a brand, we're really talking about how a brand responds to consumers.
Brands must understand and anticipate consumer needs, desires, and expectations to develop strong relationships with consumers and grow a loyal following.
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