How to Make Your Business Top of Mind

When buying an item, we tend to mention the brand name rather than the type of item. For example, in the context of Indonesian consumers, when buying mineral water, Indonesians are used to saying "Aqua" instead of mineral water, even though, in reality, they are looking for another brand. 

This situation is an example of success of a brand that has dominated the "top of mind" of consumers. 

As a business owner, you definitely want your brand to be top of mind among consumers, right? Let’s learn how to achieve that through this article.

What is Top of Mind Awareness?

Top of mind awareness (TOMA) is a brand, product, or service that first comes to the mind of consumers in a particular category or industry, which is what all brands try to achieve through their marketing strategies. For example, the Aqua case for Indonesians that represent mineral water products. 

Top of mind awareness is a term that comes from Ellis Verdi, former president of the National Council of Retail Advertisers in the US. According to him, most people mistakenly seek to achieve their promotional goals through discounts. Although it brings some sales, when the promotion ends, the appeal of the product or service will decrease.

In contrast to discounts, top of mind awareness does not need to use price discounts as a promotional tool because consumers think about your product or service first, among other choices.

It's also worth mentioning that TOMA can also have negative associations with brands that first come to the mind of consumers for its scandal, too. However, being 'top of mind’ is always a big plus for a brand.

The Importance of Being Top of Mind

People see lots of ads and decide on a purchase according to their preferences. And most people buy the product that comes to their mind first or ‘the most memorable brand name’ based on their preferences.

But the importance of being top of mind does not stop there. TOMA has many other additional benefits, like:

• More effective marketing strategies: As the public already knows your brand, your campaigns will be more memorable and meaningful. When competitors advertise their products, consumers may even think about and compare them with yours.
• Easier PR stunt: It's easier to attract media coverage when your brand is already the number one choice in every home.
• Higher search rankings: If more people search your brand on Google, the search engines will improve your site's position for related keywords. 
• Increased brand value and integrity: Brands that reach the top of mind are often more trusted by the consumers.
• More leads: The more people who know your product, the more potential customers you’ll get.

Tips to Become a Top Brand of Mind

1. Have a strong brand identity

If you want customers to think of your business before competitors, your business must have a strong brand identity.

Having a brand that customers can recognize and identify easily will ensure your business stays upfront and always in the minds of consumers when they make a purchase.

2. Create eye-catching taglines and slogans

A good tagline will set you apart from other companies that provide similar products or services. Like taglines, slogans are often used to represent specific product marketing campaigns. 

One of the most important things when setting a tagline or slogan is you must be able to find the core of your brand. Your values can be the opening step of the tagline.

3. Give the best shopping experience

Great and seamless shopping experience is what consumers want from any brand. The positive experience with your brand will lead them to keep purchasing your products. So, give the best shopping experience ever to your consumers, both online and offline.

4. Build brand visibility online

Showing up in search results is the key to increasing discoverability by consumers. So make your brand visible in all online channels; from social media to blog or media publication. 

You can apply SEO techniques to win online visibility for specific keywords that your brands bid.  You can also use hashtags, influencer partnerships, paid advertising, and competitions to broaden your visibility.

6. Omnichannel loyalty program

Meet your customers in all possible touch points and reward them for any behavior that you want.

For example, free loyalty points for every purchase  from your online store or offline stores. Omnichannel loyalty program will enable to reward your customers, so they’ll have positive experience with your brands.

How to Measure Top of Mind Awareness?

The definition itself implies that top of mind awareness is measured directly through market research surveys. But other tools can help measure TOMA, including Google Analytics and social media.

Here are some metrics that are closely related to the Top of Mind Awareness measurement:

1. Brand recall

Brand recall is defined as the possibility of "instant memory" of the brand name by the customer when requested.

Through surveys and focused customer interviews, you can calculate the TOMA score for your brand. Interviewers can ask customers simple open-ended questions about what comes to mind when talking about a category. You can then calculate your TOMA score by calculating the percentage of people who immediately remember your brand name.

2. Organic search analysis on websites and social media

Another metric that can effectively demonstrate a company's brand awareness is the number of organic searches your brand receives. Simple SEO tools can help you get that information. 

Social media can be an important asset to measure your brands’ popularity. There are a few core KPIs that every brand should monitor regularly:

• Total Paid Media Reach
• Branded Search Volume
• Social Following
• Brand Mentions
• External Website Links
• Referrals / Direct Traffic

Become a Top of Mind Brand with Loyalty Programs

Brand awareness is a crucial driver of consumer buying decisions in a crowded market where brand differentiation is not always visible.

According to Nielsen, consumers are 60% more likely to buy from a brand they have heard of than from a brand they are unfamiliar with. So, investing in loyalty programs can help your brand stand out from the competition, drive better brand awareness and ultimately increase your revenue.

Tada, leading loyalty & rewards platform in Indonesia offers an omnichannel loyalty platform that can help your business provide the best experience for your consumers to encourage loyalty. This platform is part of Tada's strategy to help businesses increase customers loyalty and retention and have a complete customer profile through integration with Indonesia's leading marketplaces. 

Request our demo now to find out more about how we can help you with creating loyalty programs that work and scalable.