Brand Recognition

Despite the foreign language, do you recognize this brand?

Now that I am living in China, I have to go shopping for food, cleaners and the other necessary things in order to live here comfortably. Some products I have needed to ponder over the characters to understand what it is and yet I recognize other brands from the USA. For things I don’t recognize, I have to start from the beginning. Try different brands and see if I like them. Other times, I will watch what the locals choose or I ask. These kind people rarely steer me wrong. (If they do, it is due to the poor quality of my Chinese and broken phrasing.) This has made me think about how important brands and their names are.

Brands are often linked in our minds with a known quality, price or memory. Some brands are so well known, their name represents that product. Think of Band-Aid™, or Jello™. I rarely hear someone say bandages or gelatin. I always hear Band-Aid™ or Jello™. Can you think of any others?

Come join me in a little exercise of understanding brands and our recognition of those brands.

Think about your shopping habits. Are there certain items you will pay more for because you value the brand? Do you buy multiple items because you like that brand and don’t want it to disappear?

Do you buy certain brands of jeans? Shoes? Cleaners? Cereals? Ingredients for your products?

Why do you prefer certain brands? Quality? Customer Service? Quantity? Price? Which one is the top preference for you?

Now, let’s take your perspective about your shopping habits and consider those questions as a business owner (even a potential owner). How do you plan on creating your brand name? What will your brand name represent? Where is your niche in the market? What words will be your key words in marketing? What do you want your brand name to be synonymous with?

Being in China has taught me that brands are important, but good products carry good brands. What do you think? I want to know!