A brand is a unique identity imparted by the customer to the seller of a specific product or service. Today most companies spend millions on constructing and managing this identity. Brand knowledge is the net result of Brand Image and Brand Awareness.
Good brand knowledge results in profit for companies and business owners. The two-component of brand knowledge, Brand Awareness, and Brand Image, interplay to influence buyers and investors.
Key Takeaways
- Brand image is consumers’ overall perception and impression of a brand based on their experiences, associations, and expectations. In contrast, brand awareness is how consumers recognize and recall a brand within a specific market or product category.
- Brand image is influenced by product quality, customer service, and marketing efforts, whereas brand awareness is primarily driven by a brand’s visibility, reputation, and marketing reach.
- Both brand image and brand awareness contribute to a brand’s overall success. Still, the brand image focuses on consumers’ perceptions and impressions of the brand, while brand awareness measures the familiarity and recognition of the brand among target customers.
Brand Image vs. Brand Awareness
Brand image refers to the perception or impression that consumers have about a particular brand that can help to differentiate a brand from its competitors and build consumer loyalty. Brand awareness refers to the level of recognition and familiarity that consumers have with a particular brand.
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Brand Image is what people think about the specific product the company sells. They are abstract ideas and psychological associations that influence people’s decision-making.
A good brand image translates to people associating positive emotions and characteristics with the brand.
An excellent example of the same is how Kellog’s brand image is associated with healthier breakfast versus Maggi’s brand image is associated with junk snacks.
Brand Awareness is the recall factor associated with a brand. If people can quickly identify the product brand in terms of its physical features or recognize it, the product is said to have good brand awareness.
For example, the iconic yellow and red packet of Maggi will likely be recognized by people, or they will probably ask retailers for the product by its brand name. This indicated good brand awareness.
Comparison Table
| Parameter of Comparison | Brand Image | Brand Awareness |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Psychological associations and meanings associated with a brand. | Ability to confirm prior exposure to the brand. |
| Nature | It is often latent or passive | It is not latent or active, based on the recall rate. |
| Markers | Things such as taglines, campaigns, and marketing strategies influence Brand Image. | Physical attributes such as packaging, logo, colors, etc., will likely influence Brand Awareness. |
| Goal | Meaningful | Memorable |
| Longevity | Enduring | Superficial |
What is Brand Image?
Brand Image refers to people’s perceptions of a specific product sold by a company. It is a collection of attributes that people attach to things and brands.
These attributes usually indicate the meanings people associate with the product.
Brand image is psychological and emotional. It is the brand’s impression in the customer’s head. The interplay between customer belief, emotion, and brand reputation collectively influence Brand Image.
Brand Image is usually constructed unintentionally; however, in the current market, brands invest millions to carefully strategize and manipulate their brand’s identity in the public domain.
All brands wish to attain a positive brand image; however, the meaning of positive changes for different brands and products.
For a specific brand, let’s say Royal Stag wants to associate individuality and personal success with the brand to appeal to its customers, who are business professionals or young people.
The such association would be a positive Brand Image for the company. While in the case of a Fritolay Chips, such as Kurkure, a positive Brand Image would be the association with family and festivals.
The placement of the product and the campaigns that they indulge in help in manipulating brand identities. For example, Godrej, during the last decade, has revamped its Image and has been engaging in sustainable living solutions.
To further the Brand Image, it is sponsored and associated with multiple events and TV shows that promote environmental sustainability.
The primary aim of constructing a Brand image is to establish the uniqueness of the product. They elevate the assessment of the brand in a customer’s mental construct. It is also hugely influenced by customer satisfaction.
Unsatisfied customers are a huge setback for a company’s brand identity.
What is Brand Awareness?
Brand Awareness is the ability of customers to identify or recognize previous interactions with a brand. It is marked by the preciseness with which customers associate brands with their respective products.
It is indicative of consumer consciousness and customer reach. Brand awareness is an essential marketing tool to map the success and spread of a brand within its target audience.
Brand awareness can help businesses stand out amidst the extensive competition. Increasing Brand Awareness is usually marketers’ first and foremost goal when dealing with a new company or product.
The customer must acquire the proper knowledge about your product to assist him when picking it out from the rack.
Two primary components enable marketers to establish brand awareness. The first one is Brand recognition. The customers can recognize the brand packaging, logo, or tagline.
They display indications of having interacted with the brand before and can differentiate it from other products.
The second essential component is called brand recall. It is marked by the ability of a customer to retrieve the brand identity, such as the name or purpose of the product, from his or her memory when given reasonable hints.
Brand Awareness aims to construct ads, campaigns, and other strategies to make the product memorable in the customer’s experience to influence his decision-making positively.
Main Differences Between Brand Image and Brand Awareness
- Brand Image constitutes the bundle of ideas and meanings people associate with a brand, while Brand Awareness is the popularity of the brand product among the target customers.
- Brand Image can not be directly constructed but can be manipulated by brand placement, taglines, and strategic collaborations, whereas Brand awareness is the product of logo, packaging, and image construction.
- Brand Image focuses on constructing meaningful images associated with the brand, while Brand Awareness focuses on constructing memorable images.
- The Image of a brand is a relatively enduring characteristic that will determine customer decisions. Brand awareness is a superficial construct that might not have enduring effects on positive purchase decisions.
- The former is dominated by psychological and emotional meaning, while the latter is determined by appearance.
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Chara Yadav holds MBA in Finance. Her goal is to simplify finance-related topics. She has worked in finance for about 25 years. She has held multiple finance and banking classes for business schools and communities. Read more at her bio page.
