# In the minds of consumers
Canonical: https://social-archive.org/fuchikoma/im1YrUI4fK
Original URL: https://brandprinciples.substack.com/p/in-the-minds-of-consumers
Author: Kevin Finn
Platform: substack
## Content
![Image 1](https://social-archiver-api.social-archive.org/media/archives/fuchikoma/Y8ASsX7KZT/media/0.jpg) Think of a brand, one that you’re very familiar with but which you are *not* a customer—and are never likely to be one. Choose any brand, from any industry sector, but make sure you’re reasonably familiar with it and what it stands for. Ready? No matter which brand you chose, and for whatever reason, you’ve clearly given it space in your mind. That means you’re acutely aware of this brand, what it does (or doesn’t do), what market sector it inhabits and what value it provides (or doesn’t). You’re probably also familiar with its branding—or its logo at the very least. And you feel the brand is important enough to remember, or to reference, or you’ve acknowledged its relevance in today’s world. So much so, you’ve given it some space in your consciousness. All of this despite our incredibly overcrowded minds, which are constantly navigating our busy day-to-day activities. And you’re not even a customer, nor are you likely to be one! The fact there are countless other businesses and brands you’ve encountered in your life, and which you don’t easily recall, speaks volumes about the ones you do. So, what’s going on here? How can brands be this powerful? --- [Subscribe now](https://brandprinciples.substack.com/subscribe?) --- This can be hard to fathom, but looking at it from a practical perspective it becomes obvious. It’s partly due to a brand’s ability to broadcast far and wide, since this provides *exposure*. But exposure alone won’t be enough; a brand also needs absolute *clarity of message*, a way for us to process its meaning and to understand its value—which builds *awareness*. This brings us to the next vital element: *relevance*. Being relevant is essential to a business or brand’s success. Obviously, it needs to be relevant to customers who receive the value, but also to non-customers, who acknowledge the relevance of the brand in today’s society through their understanding of it. This could be as simple as the brand being a market leader, or as complex as the brand being the antithesis of someone’s personal values. Either way, it brings us back to clarity, because clarity allows a brand to communicate its position, its beliefs, and its value propositions. But, as world renowned advertising guru Sir John Hegarty points out, this isn’t just important for customers’ understanding: *“A brand isn’t only made by the people who buy it, but also by the people who know about it. When managing and promoting your product, this is probably the most important lesson to bear in mind. Even though a person may never buy what you sell, the fact that they know about what you are selling adds value to it.”* --- ## *“A brand isn’t only made by the people who buy it, but also by the people who know about it.”* --- By this reasoning, the more people who know about (and understand) a business or brand, the greater collective importance we bestow upon it. The aggregation of this wider significance increases the perceived value of the brand in the minds of others (which broadly speaking means society at large) making it immediately recognisable. This awareness includes customers and non-customers because it can translate into what we traditionally refer to as being a *household name*, a brand that’s become synonymous with something specific and which we use as reference against other similar ‘things’. There are many factors contributing to this. For starters, it has to do with reputation, which can be as practical as being ‘a reliable product’, or as nebulous as defining our personal identity, or a means to convey a sense of status. In every instance it relies on people having a clear and collective understanding of the brand, which then needs to be backed up by our experiences of the brand itself, whether that’s direct or indirect. Furthermore, and perhaps surprisingly, it’s also still the result of an age-old promotional tool: *word of mouth*. The more people who are aware of your business or brand—meaning, the more they understand it; the more visible it is to them; the more value they receive from it; and the more relevant it is in their lives—the more they will talk about it *in their own words*. It stands to reason, then, that whether their opinion of the brand is positive or negative becomes increasingly significant, because what they say will be trusted far beyond what a brand or business promotes about itself. --- [Subscribe now](https://brandprinciples.substack.com/subscribe?) --- All this places added importance on how brands communicate—and to whom—which can be a challenging mindset for traditional business leaders to adopt, particularly those who are more comfortable broadcasting to a rigidly defined customer segment or market sector. So let’s do another little exercise: what if you tried promoting the value and relevance of your product or service specifically to people who are *not* your customers? What might that look and sound like? You might be thinking that’s a novel idea, but a pointless exercise. Yet, there is a very practical aspect to it. When you’re looking to grow your customer base, to expand your market, to scale your reach, or to build your profile, is there any sense in ‘preaching to the converted’, or to a limited customer group? Isn’t the objective to always widen the influence? If so, Hegarty suggests thinking about it this way: *“According to the Bible, when Christ stood and made his Sermon on the Mount he preached to the masses. He didn’t get up on that rock and say, ‘I’d like to talk to 18-25-year-old ABCs, with a predisposition to change and a disposable income of X.’ No, he got up and preached to as many people as possible. He was in the business of recruitment, building loyalty and getting people to change their behaviour. If I’m not mistaken that’s the function of a great many brands today.”* 3 Religious references aside, there’s an important lesson in Hegarty’s observation: don’t define who you should communicate to based on an assumption that you know what people are looking for. If your message is clear and compelling it will attract those who see value in your offer. This applies to attracting new employees, as much as customers. In short, being front of mind (for the right reasons), and being clearly understood by a wide group, is the pinnacle of successful brand communication. --- ## Being front of mind (for the right reasons), and being clearly understood by a wide group, is the pinnacle of successful brand communication. --- #### ABSENT MINDED Sadly, the incredibly valuable mental real estate we all possess has traditionally been seen by businesses as an exploitable resource, something to mine in order to increase their profits, earnings and revenue. But all this is now changing. In our new emerging world, that valuable real estate has become more about a brand’s responsibility, obligation, transparency and accountability. With societal trends shifting, people are actively seeking out brands and businesses who deliver on this. And that includes employees, because this mindset extends to the whole organisation—those who are charged with delivering the promise, as well as maintaining it on a regular basis and in a consistent manner. The death of any business is to first be absent from our minds—which is the result of being invisible, irrelevant, unable to provide genuine and tangible value, misunderstood, or losing trust. This idea of being absent from our minds is so significant, it cannot be overstated. If customers don’t believe your brand or business merits a second thought, the impact on the business is enormous. And it’s even more important for businesses who are seeking to build a brand, as much as for established brands seeking to maintain their market position. Consider Hegarty’s insight, based on decades of international experience working with a swathe of high-profile brands: *“In reality, a brand only ever exists in the minds of consumers.”* --- ![Image 2](https://social-archiver-api.social-archive.org/media/archives/fuchikoma/Y8ASsX7KZT/media/1.jpg)