(#94) Why No One Buys From Brands They Don’t Remember (And How to Fix Yours)

Hello and welcome to Make It Happen. The podcast will weed out into all things money, mindset,

manifestation and more because I want to help you make money and create your dream life.

Hi everyone! Today we are going over a topic that could quite literally make or break your business and it is something that 95% of entrepreneurs are getting completely wrong.

And I'm going to share with you the exact framework that separates businesses that struggle for every sale from those that have customers lining up to buy from them.

So it has nothing to do with the best product or the lowest price or even the biggest marketing budget. The reality is if no one remembers your brand when they're ready to buy, they won't buy from you.

So it doesn't matter how amazing your product is. It doesn't matter how much they loved your content last month or how many followers you have.

The fascinating thing and this is backed by research is we don't just buy the best product. We buy from brands that we remember and trust.

So our brands are literally wired to choose from familiar things over the unknown even if the unknown might be objectively better.

So think about it when you need a coffee you probably think Starbucks or the local cafe that you visit all the time when you are buying clothing is probably a few clothing stores you visit over and over again.

So this is the power of brand memory and today I'm going to show you exactly how to use it to build your business and use the same strategies that billion dollar brands use.

Now let me start off by explaining what's actually happening in your customers brain when they make a purchasing decision because understanding this is going to completely change how you approach your marketing.

So basically our brains judge how likely something is based on how easily we remember examples of it.

So when somebody needs a solution to a problem their brain it doesn't search through every possible option it goes through what is most easily recalled.

So the researchers at the University of Michigan found that people were 67% more likely to choose a brand they'd been exposed to just 24 hours earlier even when they couldn't consciously remember seeing it.

So that is the power of our memory working below the conscious level. But here's where it gets very interesting so the more we're exposed to something the more we like it and the more we trust it.

So this was discovered by psychologist Robert Zajong who found that people rated Chinese characters more positively after seeing them multiple times even though they had no idea what they meant.

So what does this mean for your business? It means that being memorable isn't just about being good. It's actually about being present in your customers mind when they are ready to make a decision.

And this is the part that most entrepreneurs get wrong. They think the buying process looks like this problem to research to buy.

But there's not actually how it works. So the real buying cycle looks a little more like this.

First they've become aware that they have a problem. So they think they have a problem. Then they do some initial research.

Life gets in the way they get distracted. And then maybe a few weeks later the problem resurfaces again. They need a quick solution.

And they go with the first brand they remember and finally they make that purchase.

So if you are not the brand that they remember in that crucial moment, you're going to lose the sale.

It doesn't matter how much they like your content months earlier. And this is what marketers call mental availability.

Being the brand that comes to mind first when somebody is ready to buy.

And the crucial part is the brand with the highest mental availability is going to win even when they're not necessarily the best option.

And I see this all the time with my students. They'll create amazing content, get a ton of really great engagement.

People commenting, I love this, I love this. But then they wonder why their sales are inconsistent.

And it's because they built a tension that one time and not memory. So it's just inconsistency.

So instead of playing the attention game, you should be playing the memory game.

Getting attention is easy. Post a controversial opinion, use a trending sound, create some clickbait content, jump on the latest viral trend.

And boom, you've got some eyeballs on you've got some engagement. But the attention is fleeting.

It lasts seconds, maybe minutes, and it's gone. And your audience actually moves on to the next shiny thing.

Memory is where the money is. Memory is long term. Memory is what makes someone choose you many months from now when they're ready to buy.

So let me give you an example. Have a think about the brands you remember instantly. So take Apple, Apple computers, for example, or Apple phones.

They are clean, minimalistic, innovative or Coca-Cola.

So Coca-Cola represents happiness, sharing, plastic Americana. They are tasty, they're refreshing.

Disney. So Disney is all about magic, childhood wonder, family experiences.

These brands didn't just grab your attention that one time they have built memory structures in your brain through consistent, repeated exposure to their core messages and visual identity.

Now, before we get into how to build brand memory, let me show you the five biggest mistakes that kill it.

So I see these constantly and they're all completely avoidable. Now, the first memory killer is having no clear brand position.

So if I asked your audience to describe your brand in one sentence, would they all say the same thing?

Now, when your positioning is unclear, people's brains, they can't form strong memory connections.

So I worked with a client who sold wellness products for busy women. Now that could mean anything.

So supplements, skincare, fitness equipment, meal plans.

And because her positioning was so vague, nobody actually remembered them when they needed a specific solution.

So we repositioned them as the five minute morning routine brand for working moms and their sales doubled in three months.

Why? Because now when working moms are thinking about a quick morning routine, this is the brand that came to mind.

So the second memory killer is inconsistent visual identity.

Your Instagram looks different from your website, which looks different to your packaging, which looks different to your email newsletter.

This is all very confusing and people's brains and it's going to make people forget.

Now, think about this. If you met somebody who looked completely different every single time you saw them, would you remember them?

I mean, probably not your brain needs consistent visual cues to build strong memory connections.

Now, the third memory killer is random content without narrative.

So you're posting would have feels good in the moment instead of building a story Monday, your business is creating a recipe.

And then Wednesday itself care and then Friday's business tips. There is no thread connecting at all.

So your content, it should feel like chapters in the same book, but not random pages from different novels.

Now the fourth memory killer is trying to be everything to everyone.

So when you try to serve everyone, you become memorable to no one. Your brain can only hold so many brand associations.

So if you're trying to be the productivity brand and the wellness brand and the fashion brand, none of those associations stick.

Now, the fifth memory killer is blending in.

If you look and sound like every other brand in your space, you're going to disappear into the noise.

Now, your brain filters out things that seem familiar or generic. I call this the beige brand syndrome.

And it's generally when your brand is so safe and so generic that it is actually completely forgettable.

Now, let's get into all the good stuff. There are five key pillars that make a brand stick in people's minds.

If you master these, you will be able to build a brand that people won't forget.

Now, the first pillar is distinctiveness and that's standing out in a sea of sameness.

Now, I like to tell people that you can be distinct with your marketing and your branding.

And that is through your visual and your verbal identity.

So these are some specific things that can make you instantly recognizable.

Now, it's not just about having a pretty local. It's about creating this full sensory experience that is uniquely yours.

So it could include things like colors, shapes, typography. It could be your packaging.

So if we think about an example, Tiffany.

So Tiffany, the jewelry brand, it's blue or Nike. They have the swish or apple.

They have this white millimelistic packaging. So these brands, they own their visual elements.

So completely that you recognize them without even necessarily seeing the logo.

But distinctiveness, this can go beyond visual. So it's also about your tone of voice.

Are you serious? Are you happy? Are you silly?

So here is a practical test for you. I want you to have a look at your brand assets with fresh eyes.

If you removed your logo and your brand name, what people still know it's you.

If not, you might need a little more distinctiveness.

So take glossier as an example. I really love glossier. They've got such cute packaging.

And they have built distinctiveness through a consistent pink and white color palette.

It's pretty minimalistic. It's clean.

And they have the skin first makeup, second messaging and a conversational friendly tone.

So even without seeing the glossier logo, you can spot their aesthetic instantly.

And it's very powerful distinctiveness.

Now the second pillar is repetition.

So the power of consistent messaging.

So here are some things that might surprise you.

Your audience needs to hear your core message seven to 20 times before it really sticks.

Now most entrepreneurs say something once and assume everyone's remembered it.

Everyone's got it. And that's just not how memory works.

So the key with repetition, it doesn't need to be boring.

You don't need to feel annoying.

You can just deliver the same core message, but in different ways.

So firstly, identify your core message.

What is the one thing you want people to remember about your brand?

And then try to find different ways to express that message.

And just remember you will get bored of your message long before your audience remembers it.

So just keep going.

Even if you feel super annoying like me, I feel super annoying all the time, but just keep going.

Repeat over and over again.

Now the third pillar is storytelling.

So that is making your brand feel memorable through narrative.

People, we don't remember facts and features. We actually remember stories.

So why? Why do we remember stories?

Stories create emotional connections and emotional connections.

They create memory.

Now the fourth pillar is consistency.

So everywhere your customer encounters you, it should feel like the same brand.

So your Instagram should feel like your TikTok, which should feel like your email,

which should feel like your website, which should feel like your packaging.

So when somebody encounters you on any platform, they should immediately know it's you.

In consistency, it can kill brand memory.

If your brand feels different every time someone sees it, their brain can't form strong memory connections.

And it's like meeting a different person every single time instead of building a relationship with one person.

Now again, this doesn't mean boring or never evolving.

It's about having a consistent core identity that people can rely on and people can remember.

So think of it like a person's personality.

They might dress differently for different occasions, but their core personality is always going to remain consistent or you'd hope so.

Now the fifth pillar is emotion.

So how do people feel when they see your brand?

Do they feel excited?

Are they inspired? Are they confident?

Do they feel calm?

Do they feel empowered?

Emotion is what makes brands memorable and creates loyal customers.

Every touchpoint within your brand should evoke the same emotional response.

Your colors, your copy, your customer service, your packaging.

Everything should work together to create a consistent emotional experience.

So I want you to think about how Apple makes you feel.

Innovative, creative, premium, or how Disney makes you feel.

It makes you feel magical and nostalgic, joyful.

So these emotional associations, they're so strong that they influence purchasing decisions even when logic might suggest a different choice.

So we're going to finish this off with some tactical ways you can start building brand memory today.

So firstly, repeat your brand story over and over again.

Don't assume people remember it from the last time, because people are actually discovering you all the time, new people.

And also your existing followers, they need reminders.

So you could repeat your origin story, your mission, your values, what you did this week, summary.

And these should be woven into your content regularly.

So secondly, I would develop signature language or catch phrases.

So give me some examples.

Nike's just do it or Laurie else because you're worth it.

So what is your version for your brand?

My tagline for make it happen is I help people start and scale businesses and scale to 100k months.

So figure out how you greet your audience, how you sign off your content or any specific phrases that you can use consistently.

So third is creating hair products.

So that could be one or two items that become synonymous with your brand.

And I would focus on making these absolutely incredible rather than having a huge product line.

So when people think of your brand, they should immediately think of these signature products.

Fourth, use consistent color palettes across everything.

So I'd pick two to three colors and use them everywhere on your website, social media, packaging, your email templates.

Color is one of the strongest memory triggers that we have.

And fifth, build rituals around your brand.

So maybe it's a specific unboxing experience or maybe it's a recurring content theme could be a community challenge.

Rituals can also create memorable experiences that people associate with your brand.

Finally, increase shareability.

So that's creating content and experiences that people naturally want to share because user-generated content is so, so powerful for building brand memory.

Let me leave you with this.

Being remembered is a strategy.

It's not luck.

Every successful brand you admire, they got there by deliberately building memory structures in their customers' minds.

They chose their colors.

They developed their voice.

They crafted this story and then they consistently showed up until people couldn't forget them.

So your home today is to do an audit of your brand memory.

I would ask yourself, if somebody needed what I offered in one, two, three months from now, would they think of me?

And if the answer is no, you know what you need to work on.

Start off with your brand codes, your visual, your verbal cues.

What do people associate with your brand?

And then also audit your consistency.

Does your brand feel the same across all touch points?

And finally, take a look at your content strategy.

Is it building memory through consistent posting?

Or is it just grabbing attention?

So focusing on those viral one-time pushes.

Now, if you want to dive deeper into building a memorable brand that drives consistent sales,

I would love to help you in my business training programs and my mentorship program.

You can find the link in the description below.