Keeping Your Brand Front and Center

Once you’ve figured out the initial P’s of marketing, one of the most important aspects of brand management is keeping your brand in the consumer’s purchase consideration set. With the proliferation of messaging in today’s media, how is a smart marketer to stay top of mind?

Brand awareness is the critical first step in the consumer purchase funnel. But once a consumer is aware of your brand, they will often forget about it unless you are actively promoting it. This can obviously be done via paid media (TV, print, radio and even out-of-home advertising), but as we have discussed before, modern consumers don’t always pay attention to these marketing messages.

You have a much better chance of staying in the consumers’ consideration set if you are constantly front and center in their lives. But how is this done in a cost-effective manner?

One way is through branded digital games and apps. Brands are increasingly offering value to consumers (and staying top of mind) by offering free (or cheap), fun and engaging tools like the Ajax social media “wiper” app that helps people eliminate spam and unwanted brand messages from their social media feeds.

Or the Oral-B/Crest ChoreMonster app that teaches and reminds kids to brush their teeth, while also encouraging them to do their chores. Or Canon’s Write to Santa app that allows kids to contact Santa directly through their phone and see their letter being printed out in Santa’s workshop. 

Dreft’s Amazing Baby Days app helps expectant parents track, record and share the special moments up to and after the birth of their new baby. Other brands, like Best Buy and Volkswagen, developed entire games to keep their consumers connected and entertained. In addition to awareness and engagement, other branded apps encourage brand loyalty by providing consumers with information, discounts and customer service or facilitating product purchases:

·       ESPN’s SportsCenter provides up-to-date sports scores

·       Kraft’s iFood Assistant identifies and delivers coupons for recipe ingredients

·       Sephora’s Beauty Insider helps consumers purchase product more easily both in-store and online

Whatever value the game or app delivers, it often results in an increased positive brand perception by offering something that enhances their consumers’ lives. And when consumers feel their life is enhanced by something, they will continue to use it regularly. Just look at Facebook or Pinterest.