How Brand Recognition Can Be Your Ultimate Sales Tool

Brand recognition is more powerful than you might think.

When a customer recognises your brand whether that’s through your company logo, colour scheme, or tagline, it draws them into your brand without you actively selling to them.

Think about McDonalds. They’re one of the greatest examples of strong brand recognition.

You only have to see the golden arches and you know exactly who it is.

That’s because they’ve built such strong brand recognition that they can rely on certain elements only to capture your attention.

For brands, this level of recognition is a powerful sales tool. When people already know who you are, you’re not starting from scratch, you’re the name they think of first, the option that feels familiar, and often the one they’re quickest to choose.

If you were to ask someone about their favourite fast food chain, they’re more likely to say McDonald’s, simply because it’s the brand that comes to mind first.

In this blog, we’re outlining how you can use brand recognition to your advantage, capturing more customers, building trust faster, and making your brand the go-to choice.

What Is Brand Recognition?

Brand recognition is the ability for your brand to stick in the minds and hearts of your customers. It’s not just about being seen; it’s about being remembered and trusted so that you’re the brand people think of first when they want something. Whether that’s a fast food restaurant, a cup of tea, or a new pair of trainers, your name comes to mind first often without them thinking about other options.

When you have this level of brand recognition, it builds a deeper sense of trust and connection. Customers feel familiar with you and confident in what you offer. As a result, they’re more likely to choose you over others so your competitors don’t get a look in.

When customers already have a brand they trust, they’re less likely to be swayed by campaigns or short-term offers.

Furthermore by building brand recognition, it’s easier to justify price increases as customers are buying into the brand as a whole. It’s not just about the price, you can maintain loyalty through wider changes, such as rebrands or shifts in product or service offerings.

Brand Recognition vs Brand Awareness

Brand recognition and brand awareness are often used interchangeably, but they have different meanings. Brand awareness refers to the general familiarity of your brand in the minds of customers as it’s more about people knowing your brand exists and having a sense of what it is.

This focuses more on the mental association between your brand and your audience’s needs and wants.

In contrast, brand recognition is more specific and tangible as it measures your audience’s ability to identify your brand through things like:

• Your logo
• Packaging
• Taglines
• Products

Brand recognition is something that can be actively built and tracked through consistent branding, visuals, and messaging. For example, using the example of McDonalds, they consistently use the golden arches and red primary colour across any packaging, adverts, promotions, or any other type of messaging.

In fact they’ve been so consistent with their branding to the point they don’t even need to include their logo anymore. This is very rare as your logo is usually one of the first associations people make to your brand.

However, the below campaign from McDonalds shows how they’ve solidified themselves so much in the minds of their customers that they don’t need to rely on traditional branding signals anymore.

When it comes to brand awareness it’s about “knowing” your brand exists, while recognition is about “identifying” it in a crowded market.

Strong brand awareness often leads to better brand recognition, and both are important for building a strong brand presence.

Brand Recognition vs Brand Identity

Brand identity and brand recognition are closely related, but again, they are not the same.

Starting with brand identity, these are the elements that make up your brand such as the colour palette, logo, font, tagline, and packaging design.

Brand identity consists of the visual and verbal elements that make up your brand, such as your colour palette, logo, font choices, tagline, and packaging design.

These elements work together to create a cohesive image of your brand and to make it more memorable to your audience. Brand recognition, on the other hand, is the ability of customers to identify your brand when they see it, whether through your logo, product, or other brand cues. In other words, your brand identity is what you create and control, while brand recognition is the result of how effectively your audience remembers and identifies your brand.

Strong brand identity builds recognition over time, ensuring that your brand stands out in a crowded market and leaves a lasting impression on customers.

Business Benefits of Building Brand Recognition

Building brand recognition makes business sense because the more memorable your brand is, the more likely people are to choose it. A recognisable brand not only attracts attention but also builds trust.

However, if your brand is new to the market or starting from scratch, establishing that recognition doesn’t just happen. It takes consistent effort to capture people’s attention and make a lasting impression. Developing brand recognition is a long-term strategy that pays off by turning first-time customers into loyal advocates.

Improves trust from your customers

When customers can easily recognise your brand, it instantly signals reliability and credibility. It’s that sense of familiarity that makes them trust you as they feel a sense of safety. If we compare this with people, think about how you’d feel confiding in someone.

You’re much more likely to confide in someone who you know as there’s a level of trust because of your existing relationship with them. You feel a sense of safety, and you know what kind of response you’re going to get so there’s less of a surprise than confiding in someone you don’t know. The same concept applies to brands as people are more likely to trust and invest in a brand where they feel safe and reassured.

Increases customer loyalty

Brand recognition encourages people to come back time and time again as customers consistently identify and recall your brand on a deeper level. This means they’re more likely to buy from you in the future as you’re the company they think of when they need something.

For example, Yorkshire Tea has built strong brand recognition over many years. Whenever I want a cup of tea, I instinctively reach for them because the brand is reliable, consistent, and delivers exactly what I expect – a good cup of tea every time.

By taking time to build brand recognition, customers are more likely to return, recommend your brand to others, and develop long-term loyalty. This is a big business win as it reduces acquisition costs over time and money being spent on convincing people to buy.

Justify higher pricing

As mentioned earlier in the blog, strong brand recognition allows businesses to command higher prices because customers develop a deeper connection and trust with your brand. When people recognise and value your brand, they’re less likely to be swayed by cheaper alternatives. This loyalty and familiarity give you the flexibility to adjust pricing without losing your customer base, as they perceive the overall value of your brand beyond just the product or service.

Recognisable brands are often associated with higher quality too which makes customers willing to pay a premium. This perception of value allows your business to differentiate itself in a crowded market, competing on factors like trust, experience, and reputation rather than just on price.

More effective marketing

When you’ve built strong brand recognition, people are already familiar with it. This familiarity means that marketing messages don’t have to start from scratch so you can focus on promoting offers, features, or values that matter most to your audience.

As your audience already knows and trusts your brand, campaigns are more likely to resonate, and drive more valuable action (i.e. people making a purchase). Brand recognition makes your marketing more targeted as you’re spending less and less money on convincing people that your brand exists and more on guiding them toward making purchase decisions.

Can be more competitive

Any market is competitive with customers being flooded with so many choices. Thanks to digital advancements and social media, there are so many brands storming the market on a daily basis that it can be hard to get your brand heard.

Going back 10-15 years ago, it was easier to dominate a market and often, longevity was the biggest barrier to entry. Nowadays, newer brands and newcomers can gain a lot of traction through digital platforms, so you need to cut through this noise.

This is where brand recognition can set you apart as being easily identifiable makes your brand the go-to choice. Consequently this reduces the influence of competitors, and increases the likelihood of your brand being top-of-mind when they’re making a purchase.

ROI of Brand Recognition

When your brand is easily recognisable in the market, people are more likely to buy from you.

In turn, this reduces the effort, resources, and money spent on convincing people to engage in the first place. When a brand is first launched in the market, it takes time to build this level of momentum which requires a lot of costs associated with marketing to get your message out there.

However, when you invest in building brand recognition on a consistent level, you’re turning passive customers into loyal brand advocates who stay with your brand regardless of who comes onto the market.

As a result this leads to higher conversion rates, more repeat customers, and a stronger base of loyal customers – all of which directly improve your bottom line.

If you’re still curious about brand recognition and its importance when it comes to boosting your revenue, we’ve got some stats to back this up:

73% of consumers are more likely to buy from brands they recognise, and 59% prefer to try new products from familiar brands, underscoring how recognition directly influences purchasing behaviour. – Marketing LTB

Consistent branding drives 10-20% revenue growth – Shapo.io

81% of consumers need to trust a brand to consider buying – Exploding Topics

60% of companies reported that being consistent in branding added 10% more to 20% of their growth – Wiser Notify

82% of customers buy from a brand when they have a high emotional connection, compared to only 38% of those with a low emotional connection. – Huddle Creative

How Brand Recognition Can Be Your Ultimate Sales Tool

Brand recognition is a key part of making more sales as the more people recognise and remember your brand, the more likely they are to invest.

It all comes down to the simple concept that people buy from brands that feel safe with; brands that are dependable. ‘People buy from people’ is a common saying, but its one that genuinely applies to any brand.

When customers feel like they can trust your brand, they’re rarely inclined to sway away from it. Building brand recognition is a key part of building trust as you become the instant conscious choice. From seeing your brand colours to hearing your slogan, brand recognition is a powerful tool that enables even the most corporate company to sit in the hearts and minds of its customers.

Building brand recognition doesn’t just happen overnight; it relies on a consistent strategy to solidify the brand among its intended audience. At Discovery, we help clients stand out in the market by developing cohesive brand identities and applying them consistently across every touchpoint. Get in touch with our team to find out how we can help.