Why brand perception matters

We’re currently working on two big rebrand projects, so we’ve spent a lot of time talking about brand perception and have worked with our clients to demonstrate why their brand is about more than just a logo.

As Mark Noble, senior brand manager for Birra Moretti explained in Marketing Week recently, building a brand is like building a house. He said, you can make the exterior and interior look fancy but unless you’ve got your foundation right it’s not going to be a good house. We like this analogy in the context of branding.

Brand perception is how consumers view your brand. It’s highly pivotal to any marketing strategy as it’s what transforms something from a product or company into something more: a bit like putting a face to a name. It’s not something that can be done overnight and is created by mixing lots of different elements together.

It’s about researching your target audience; evaluating your values; creating a look and feel; designing a logo and strapline; developing a tone of voice; communicating your message by using channels that reach your audience. And then there’s everything in between… You get the point, it’s a complex and on-going process that you need to get right.

This feels like the perfect point to talk about our favourite campaign of the year, which focused on changing perceptions of a brand. You may remember back in May, food-on-the-go retailer Greggs surprised unsuspecting gourmet enthusiasts by serving up lunch under the guise of an artisan delicatessen, Gregory & Gregory, at a top London food festival.

The result? Those people (who don’t usually eat from Greggs) were surprised at how much they enjoyed the food. Why were they surprised? Simply because of the way they perceive Greggs! Over time, they have developed an opinion of the brand and disassociated themselves from it.

And there you have it - the power of branding.

Is it time to review your brand identity? Time for a refresh? Let’s have a chat!