Brand Awareness

A Model of Brand Awareness and Brand Attitude Advertising Strategies
Psychology & Marketing (1986-1998); Jul/Aug 1992; 9, 4; ABI/INFORM Global
pg. 263

By : Larry Percy; John R Rossiter

Brand awareness is treated as a dichotomy that addresses both recognition and recall objectives, and brand attitude is discussed in terms of the interaction between the underlying motivations driving behavior in category and the involvement associated with purchase decision.

Brand awareness is a crucial consideration. It may be thought of as a buyer’s ability to identify a brand within a category in sufficient detail to make a purchase. It is important to remember that sufficient detail does not always require identification of the brand name. often it is no more then a visual image of the package that simulates a responses to the brand. When a brand is recognized at point of purchase, brand awareness does not require brand recall. This is a key point in the consideration of brand awareness as a communication objective.

The difficulty relates to the essential difference between recognition and recall, a different that is extremely important to advertising strategy. Brand recognition and brand recall are two separate type of brand awareness. The different depends upon the communication effect that occurs first in the buyer mind : category need or brand awareness.

Recognition : Brad Awareness

The brand is quite literally presented to the consumer first, and this is what stimulates the consumer to consider the relevancy of category need. Very few shopper actually carry lists and those who do will only have category reminder, not brand names, on their list. Shoppers rely upon visual reminder of their needs as they scan the packages on the shelf and brands are recognized.

Recall : Category need

Brand awareness is not a simple issue. It has at least two major components, and in fact one can even look at recognition brand awareness as being either visual recognition or verbal recognition. Brand awareness is a function of whether or not recognition of the brand drives category need (recognition awareness) or whether category need drives brand awareness (recall awareness). This distinction is critical to effective advertising strategy.

The cognitive dimension utilities the concept of involvement or perceived risk attached to the purchase of a brand. Nelson (1997), the model takes advantage of an economic theory that classifies brand purchase decision as either low involving, where trial experience is sufficient, or high involving, where search and conviction are required prior to purchase. Involvement conceived of in this way was shown to be highly dependent upon target audience.

The effective dimension utilizes the dominant motivation underlying brand purchase. Strategies based upon this motivation are classified as either being informational or transformational. Utilizing Fennell’s (1978) motivation, Rossiter and Percy suggest informational strategy associated with negative drive reduction states problem removal, problem avoidance, incomplete satisfaction, mixed approach avoidance, or normal depletion, and transformational strategies associated with positive drive enhancement – sensory gratification, intellectual stimulation, or social approval.