Imagine walking into a supermarket. You’re faced with two identical products. One you’ve seen a hundred times on your Instagram feed, in glossy magazines, or maybe featured in a morning show segment. The other? You’ve never heard of it. Which do you choose? Odds are, you will select the one you are familiar with. That comforting sense of familiarity isn’t coincidence—it’s psychology. And it’s what makes brand awareness an essential component of any PR strategy.
First Impressions Matter (More Than You Think)
Whether we realise it or not, we’re constantly making snap judgments. It’s how our brains are wired—always on the lookout for shortcuts to help us make quicker decisions. Psychologists call it the mere-exposure effect, or the familiarity principle. Simply put, the more we’re exposed to something, the more we tend to like it.
Think of that catchy jingle you can’t get out of your head, the coffee shop you instinctively visit every morning, or the brand you reach for on autopilot at the supermarket. These aren’t random choices—they’re small, everyday examples of how repeated exposure builds trust and preference.
In a world overloaded with options, brand awareness isn’t just a marketing buzzword. It’s a quiet yet powerful psychological nudge that influences what we buy, who we follow, and how we feel. First impressions don’t just count—they compound.
So, What Exactly Is Brand Awareness?
Brand awareness isn’t just people knowing your name. It’s people feeling something when they see it. Recognition. Comfort. Confidence. That little nod of approval from the brain that says, “Yes, I know this. I like this. Let’s go with this.”
Strong brand awareness means your audience understands your identity and values, even without a hard sell. They see your logo, tone of voice, or packaging and think, “That’s them.”
Why Brand Familiarity Matters
Familiarity does more than drive clicks and conversions—it lays the emotional groundwork for long-term customer relationships.
Trust in Branding
- Consistent visibility builds perceived reliability.
- The more consumers encounter your brand across touchpoints, the more they view it as trustworthy.
- People want safe bets. Your brand being known gives you the edge over the unknown.
Emotional Connection
- Brands with strong awareness often tap into consumers’ emotions.
- Whether it’s joy, nostalgia, or empowerment, familiarity builds emotional resonance.
Reduced Decision Fatigue
- We’re faced with thousands of choices daily.
- A familiar brand reduces cognitive load, helping consumers make faster, easier decisions.
PR and Consumer Behaviour
Public relations isn’t just about press releases and events—it’s a subtle, steady drumbeat of brand presence. When you show up consistently in the media, social platforms, podcasts, influencer content, and industry conversations, you build a recognisable rhythm that your audience begins to rely on.
PR isn’t selling. It’s storytelling.
How PR Drives Brand Awareness:
Third-Party Endorsements:
Media coverage gives your brand the stamp of credibility. People trust journalists, influencers, and content creators to recommend worthwhile brands.
Case in point: FitFlop
When FitFlop wanted to elevate its presence in the Australian market, Piccolo PR focused on crafting a consistent media drumbeat across lifestyle, fashion, and health titles. From securing editorial features in Good Weekend Magazine, WHO Weekly and other top-tier outlets to spotlighting seasonal product drops with fashion influencers, FitFlop’s message of “style meets comfort” became familiar to its core demographic.
Through repeated exposure across touchpoints—print, social media, and online coverage—FitFlop transitioned from a functional footwear brand to a fashion-forward choice consumers instinctively recognised and trusted.
This kind of targeted PR strategy shows how familiarity, consistency, and emotional alignment can build long-term brand trust.
Repetition, but Make it Creative:
A good PR strategy doesn’t just rinse and repeat—it refreshes. Think of new angles, seasonal hooks, and human-interest stories.
Diverse Touchpoints:
From a feature in a national magazine to a founder Q&A in a niche blog, PR plants seeds everywhere your audience might look.
Check Out – Navigating Trends in Brand Communication: Riding the Waves
Cognitive Branding Strategies You Need to Know
These cognitive psychology tricks are PR gold when building brand awareness:
Anchoring
- The first information someone receives about your brand influences all future perceptions.
- Ensure the first impression has bold, clear messaging.
Social Proof
People have a tendency to copy what others are doing. If media, influencers, or happy customers are talking about your brand, others are more likely to trust and follow suit.
Consistency Bias
Consumers like things that are stable. They’ll remember and trust a brand that shows up the same way, again and again.
Salience
Brands that stand out get remembered. Use vivid storytelling, unique visuals, or memorable taglines to carve space in your audience’s minds.
Also Read – Storytelling in the Spotlight: Building Lasting Brand Awareness
From PR to Psychology: Making it Work
You don’t need a psychology degree to build brand awareness—just a strategy rooted in consistency, creativity, and consumer connection.
Here are some practical PR tactics that lean into psychology:
- Tell Your Origin Story: People love founders. They love knowing the “why” behind a business. Humanising your brand builds an emotional link.
- Leverage Social Moments: Use calendar events, trending news, and industry chatter to insert your brand naturally into the conversation.
- Create a Brand Ritual: What do people expect from you regularly? Whether it’s a weekly founder note on Instagram or a monthly expert tip in an e-newsletter, rhythm builds recognition.
- Partner Strategically: Collaborate with influencers, aligned brands, or social causes to tap into new audiences to solidify familiarity.
- Measure and Optimise: PR requires constant momentum. It’s important to track media mentions, consumer sentiment, and engagement to understand what’s working—and then dial it up.
Trust doesn’t happen overnight. But with consistent PR efforts that prioritise authenticity and human connection, trust is earnt over time. Your brand becomes that familiar face in the crowd. The dependable choice. The one they’ve seen, heard, and grown to like—and then love.
Ready to become a household name? Let’s make your brand unforgettable—one strategic story at a time.
