By Sanelisiwe Siyotula

Brand association is a great way to make your brand a part of the family and a household name; a brand that stays with your audience throughout the generations. FMCG Brands in South Africa do this well, with toothpaste brands as a example, creating jingles that have been a part of childhood playtime memories. These are without a doubt brands that are at the forefront of using brand association as an important strategic tool, managing to stay top of mind when the industry and product is referred to.

The Business Dictionary defines brand association as “the extent to which a particular brand calls to mind the attributes of a general product category”. As a company all you need to ask yourself is, when consumers think of a product, is it yours that is at the top of their minds? If not here are three effective tips that you can take into consideration.

Communication

The main part of creating an association is to ensure that your brand has key points that can be used in association with its industry, category and product line. This is where your identity as a brand comes into play. What is it that your brand stands for above all else? Once you have defined that, use the definition to communicate and adapt it to the product or service you offer to your audience. Brand association relies a lot on communication tools, states the Management Study Guide. “Brand Associations are not benefits, but are images and symbols associated with a brand or a brand benefit.” Therefore, how you use your communication directly affects how, and with what your brand will be associated.

Imagery and Values

People are visual beings. We all respond well to good imagery and when operating in branding it is no exception. David Kam on Marketing Deviant writes that when you have good imagery it makes it easier to remember who you are and what you offer. Therefore, it is important to choose strong and constructive images that remind consumers of who you are and what it is that you are trying to achieve.

Positioning

There are thousands of companies competing for the attention of consumers. Therefore, it is up to the companies to use their differentiating factors to be top-of-mind. It is no different in association. While positioning is the space that you occupy in the minds of your consumer, association is the amount of space you occupy. The better positioned you are, the better your association will be. Speaker and writer, Denise Lee Yohn writes on her blog that an in-depth knowledge of your target audience, your competitors, and your own business enables you to define a strong position, and through this enhancing your brand association.

Taking into consideration all the different aspects of branding, managing the relationship between association and positioning is the most important. You need to manage where you are in the minds of the consumer, and how much space you occupy. This will allow you to persuade customers to believe that your brand possesses the features and qualities that satisfy their needs.

What are your thoughts? Do you have any other tips? Tell us below.