Brand Awareness Explained: What It Is and How to Improve It?

Brand awareness is more than just a logo or a catchy tagline; it’s how easily people recognize and remember your brand when they need a product or service. Building it means creating meaningful connections and consistent experiences that stick in customers’ minds. 

This blog breaks down the practical steps and marketing strategies you can use to boost your brand’s presence and trust. Read on to discover actionable tips that can help your brand stand out and grow effectively.

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What Is Brand Awareness?

Brand awareness is how well people recognize and remember a brand. It's what makes someone say "Thums Up" when they mean cola, or think of Zomato the moment they’re hungry. 

A strong example is how Fevicol consistently shows up in Indian pop culture, not by shouting about glue, but through clever ads that people actually enjoy watching. Their viral "Fevicol Ka Jod" campaigns have kept them top of mind for decades. According to The Economic Times, Fevicol held a 70% market share in 2024.

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• Digital Marketing and Communication – MICA
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Now let’s look at the different types of brand awareness. 

Types of Brand Awareness You Should Know

Not all brand awareness is equal. These types show how well your brand sticks in people’s minds and how easily they recall or prefer it. Here's a quick breakdown:

• Brand Recognition: When people can identify your brand by visuals like a logo or color.
   Example: The red and white of Coca-Cola.
• Brand Recall: When people can name your brand without visual cues.
   Example: Saying “Maggi” when asked about instant noodles in India.
• Top-of-Mind Awareness: The first brand that comes to mind in a category.
   Example: “Colgate” for toothpaste.
• Brand Dominance: When customers only think of your brand for a product.
   Example: “Xerox” for photocopying.
• Brand Preference: When customers favor your brand over others.
   Example: Choosing “Tata Tea” even if other options are available.

Understanding the types of brand awareness helps you see where your brand currently stands and what kind of impression you're leaving. Once you know that, the next step is figuring out how to strengthen it. 

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Also Read: Digital Marketing Types: Top 12 Digital Marketing Types You Should Know

Let’s look at some of the most effective ways to build and grow brand awareness from the ground up.

Top Strategies to Improve Brand Awareness

According to a July 2024 report by WorldMetrics, 75% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand they recognize. That recognition doesn’t happen by chance; it’s built through consistent, strategic effort. 

The following strategies aim to help your brand stay top-of-mind with the right audience.  

1. Influencer Marketing

What it is: Collaborating with influencers to showcase your brand to their followers through authentic content.

Example: Pilgrim, the Indian D2C beauty brand, partnered with actress Yami Gautam and a group of micro-influencers for its hair serum campaign. Influencers created humorous, relatable posts around “Pilgrim ne dhoond nikale,” reaching over 7.6 million views and driving a 3× increase in sales. 

2. Augmented Reality (AR) Experiences

What it is: Using interactive AR ads to engage users directly with your product through immersive digital experiences.

Example: Vivo launched AR unboxing ads for its V19 smartphone during a Facebook campaign. Users could preview the device via immersive filters, boosting ad recall by 9.5 points and tripling click-through rates compared to previous campaigns .

Also Read: Top 5 Ways To Use Augmented Reality (AR) For Marketing [With Real Life Examples]

3. Localized Influencer Campaigns

What it is: Engaging micro-influencers across regions to generate authentic, culturally-relevant content.

Example: mCaffeine rolled out a multi-language YouTube Shorts influencer campaign with 12 creators. They posted regional content, boosting video reach significantly and tapping into local audiences .

4. Meme Marketing

What it is: Integrating humor and cultural references into shareable memes that spread quickly across social media.

Example: JCB India’s #JCBKiKhudai meme trend went viral, generating the equivalent of $1 million USD in media attention by leveraging humorous takes on its core product .

Also Read: How to enhance digital marketing through memes?

5. Voice-Enabled Interactive Ads

What it is: Use voice-controlled elements in mobile ads to create immersive user experiences.

Example: OnePlus TV U1S ran voice-interactive mobile ads via mCanvas. Users could speak commands like “Turn on the TV,” achieving a 6.5 million reach, a 2% CTR (10 times the industry average), and an average engagement of over 6 seconds per user.

Now that you’ve seen some of the most effective strategies to improve brand awareness, it’s equally important to know what to avoid. Many brands lose visibility not because they lack effort but because of easily preventable mistakes. In the next section, we’ll look at common missteps that can quietly harm your brand's presence and credibility.

Common Mistakes That Hurt Brand Awareness

Even well-known companies can struggle with brand awareness when missteps go unchecked. A notable example is Zomato’s 2022 backlash over its Blinkit rebranding confusion. 

The food delivery giant attempted to merge grocery delivery with food services under one identity. However, inconsistent messaging left users unclear about what the brand actually stood for. This hurt trust and diluted recognition, prompting Zomato to later operate Blinkit as a separate brand again.

To avoid similar issues, here’s a table outlining common brand awareness mistakes and how to fix them. 

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These simple but often overlooked errors can erode years of brand-building. Awareness is only effective when backed by consistency, relevance, and audience respect.

Final Thoughts: Building a Memorable Brand

Brand awareness is about making your brand recognizable and memorable to your target audience by consistently delivering clear messages, engaging experiences, and building trust. This blog showed how understanding different types of brand awareness and applying effective strategies can help you stand out in a crowded market.

upGrad supports your journey with industry-relevant courses, real-world projects, and expert mentorship to build your skills in brand management and marketing. 

Here are some additional courses to help you: 

• Influencer Marketing from a Brand's Perspective
• Building Successful Celebrity Partnerships
• Introduction to Advertising
• Business Analytics Certification – PwC India
• Master of Science in AI & Data Science – Jindal Global University

For personalized guidance and career support, connect with upGrad’s expert counselors who can help you choose the right course based on your goals. You can also visit our offline centers for hands-on workshops, networking opportunities, and face-to-face mentorship to accelerate your learning journey.

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