How your brand is perceived in the marketplace impacts how new products, announcements, marketing initiatives and business development efforts will be viewed and considered. It is the starting point from which a target weighs what you are saying and either accepts it, rejects it or ignores it.
A perception, however, can be engineered, and even an existing unfavorable perception can be re-directed through formation of a new opinion.
Here’s how:
Have a more productive narrative
You can’t engineer perception without first securing the attention of your target. That means saying something of relevance to them. A productive narrative is one that uniquely identifies a target concern or problem and not one that just focuses on what you do or offer. People tend to want to work with entities that understand them – it is the precursor to development of preference.
Be seen frequently
With engagement secured through a more productive brand story, you need to be seen by the target, frequently. Not only does frequent visibility create multiple opportunities for your story to be exposed, it builds a perception of importance. That means creating multiple touch points of engagement for your brand through editorial, content, industry participation and events.
Be seen in a variety of places
It’s not just frequency that builds a perception of importance. It also depends on being seen in a variety of environments that targets view as influential. Ubiquity builds an impression of leadership and momentum. If you have a presence in places that matter most to the target – editorial, events, awards, thought leadership content – you can create the belief that your brand matters to the industry and by extension to the target.
Establish validation
Your narrative gains strength when it is reinforced and in effect endorsed by third parties. Your target will provide much greater consideration of what you are saying if it is echoed by others. Editorial coverage is a key driver of validation, but so, too, is participation in industry events, winning awards, leveraging client case studies and securing partnerships with like-minded entities in the industry that share your goals and business approach.
Ensure consistency and uniformity
You only have so many opportunities to engage with your target. Delivering your message with consistency and uniformity is key to ensuring its establishment. If how you speak about your brand differs based on the touch point, you will create cognitive dissonance, weakening your brand equity and undermining efforts to engineer the perception you desire.