“We Just Need to Increase Awareness”… Awareness of What, Exactly?
Ah, the classic marketing cliché: “We just need to raise awareness.” Or its cousin: “We just need to get our name out there more.”
Every time I hear this, I have to ask: “Awareness of what, exactly?”
Here’s the thing: general awareness is meaningless. It’s vague, forgettable, and expensive. Specificity, on the other hand, is powerful. It’s the difference between being a brand people remember and being a brand they scroll past.
Awareness Without Specificity Is a Money Burner
If you’re raising awareness for something generic—like quality or innovation—congratulations, you’ve just helped your competitors. Not only that, but you’ve probably burned a massive chunk of your marketing budget in the process.
Let’s be honest: nobody in your category is shouting, “We’re unquality!” or “We’re not innovative!” These are givens, not differentiators. And if you’re promoting the same thing everyone else is, you’re just amplifying the noise.
What Should You Stand For?
If you’re serious about raising awareness, you need to answer some fundamental questions:
- What makes you uniquely different in your market?
- What can you offer that no one else does?
- What can you offer that’s new, not just better?
Generic marketing gets ignored. Specific marketing sticks.
Lessons from the Marketing Greats
In their brilliant book, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, Jack Trout and Al Ries highlight some painful lessons about failing to differentiate:
- Energizer vs. Duracell
Energizer spent years trying to own the “long-lasting” position in the market. But here’s the problem: Duracell already owned it. Even their name screams longevity. Energizer, instead of carving out their own space, wasted time and money following Duracell’s lead—and Duracell stayed the market leader.
- Burger King vs. McDonald’s
Burger King tried to chase McDonald’s by positioning themselves as “fast food.” Epic fail. McDonald’s already owned that space.
- Pepsi vs. Coke
The only time Pepsi came close to Coke was when they offered something Coke didn’t: The New Generation. With stars like Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie (yes, I’m showing my age), they positioned themselves as youthful, fresh, and different. It worked. They narrowed the sales gap. But then Pepsi reverted to chasing Coke as a generic soda brand, and the gap widened again.
The lesson?
You can’t stand for something if you’re chasing everything.
Marketing Is Mental Warfare
Great marketing isn’t about shouting louder; it’s about claiming a unique position in your market’s mind.
So, before you decide to “raise awareness,” ask yourself:
- What do we want to be known for?
- What unique value can we offer that competitors can’t or won’t?
- How can we make this message stick in our customers’ minds?
My Advice to You
Don’t settle for lazy marketing. Don’t fall back on generic fluff like quality or innovation. Nobody wants to own “unquality” or “non-innovative,” so these terms are meaningless.
Instead, focus on what truly sets you apart. Find a specific, unique position you can own and make it yours. Burn that position into your market’s mind, and defend it relentlessly.
Remember: marketing is a game of precision, not generalities.
So, what’s your awareness plan? If it’s not crystal clear, it’s time to rethink it. Your market—and your budget—will thank you.
