Which brands are you inadvertently promoting?

Advertising surrounds us. Whether you realize it or not, we are constantly being bombarded with advertising and brand awareness for all types of products and services.

When you are out shopping, you will see logos and brands everywhere. If you are a driver, then the car you drive is advertising and promoting the manufacturer. If you are wearing Nike trainers, then you are advertising that brand and their swoosh logo wherever you go.

Communicating with brand names

When we talk about things, we will often use a brand name as the verb, rather than the verb itself. For example, if you need to check something online, most of the time you will say you will “Google something”. When you have made a mess on your floor, you may say that you need to “hoover up”. If you are meeting your friends for a drink after work, you might say, “Let’s go for a Bud or Guinness” later on.

We are using brand names all the time, without even realizing it. This is all down to the power of advertising and brand awareness. Once a company has successfully built up a reputation for being the leader in their market or field, we often find ourselves referring to their brand rather than the actual service or product that they provide.

Once this has happened, then it’s fair to say that the company is truly a dominant force in the business world. However, reaching this state is not easy, and can take years and years of hard work, promotion, and of course, providing a product or service that is actually what people want and enjoy.

If the taste of Coca-Cola was so bad, it wouldn’t be anywhere near as successful as it is today. Not everyone in the world likes to drink it, but there are enough people who consume it on a regular basis, for it to be the undisputed king of soft drinks.

The Internet and Social Media

The age of the internet has made it much easier to convey messages to people through advertising. And the explosion in social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have only added to the channels in which we can be exposed to promotion and brand awareness on an almost daily basis, without even realizing it.

It is not only huge global brands such as Amazon, Google and Facebook that have achieved total domination in their markets. Many other smaller companies have been able to establish themselves as leaders in their field simply through the combination of providing a good product or service and ensuring that they properly promote their brand through various mediums.

If you market your company right, and have an updated and functional website, where people can easily find information about what you offer, as well as a good stream of social media accounts, then reaching your potential audience will be a whole lot easier. Everyone is online, everywhere in the world. If you do not have an online presence, then you are potentially missing out on sales, clients and increasing your brand awareness.

What makes some brands more popular?

For a company to appeal to their potential audience, they have to ask themselves a number of questions, with the most important being “how do we differentiate from our competitors?”. There are many companies around the world all offering the same type of service. Take clothing for example – what sets one clothing line or fashion house aside from others?

Is it the quality of clothing that they produce? Is it the variety of styles and designs? Is it because the company caters for people of all ages and sizes?  Why would one person prefer Armani over Versace, or Levi over Wrangler? Clothing companies are also promoting themselves through labels in the back of your clothes, similar to what are being offered by the Dutch Label Shop.

There are many reasons why one brand is preferred over another. One is personal taste. You might simply prefer the comfort of Nike shoes over Adidas, or you may prefer the taste of Wendy’s burgers over McDonalds. Another reason is cost. Some products or services are simply too expensive for some people. Not everyone has the same financial situation and in many cases, a brand of product is preferred simply because it is the cheapest option.

Are you a walking billboard?

If you took a bit of time and actually looked and how many brands you are promoting simply by leading your regular life, you will be surprised. Each time you bring home groceries from the supermarket, you are carrying branded shopping bags. Each time you go for a drive, you are promoting your car manufacturer. Each time you wear a branded t-shirt you are promoting that line of clothing.

Advertising is everywhere, and as people, we are the ones that companies are relying on to increase their brand awareness, without them having to pay anything at all.