Overview
Regardless of the category, consumers are inundated with choices. To stand out, you need more than visibility; you need brand resonance. That means creating deep emotional and psychological connections that drive brand recall, build customer loyalty, and fuel brand advocacy.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the core principles of strategic brand management, including how to strengthen brand equity using frameworks like Keller’s Brand Equity Model. You’ll learn how to shape brand feelings, influence brand judgment, and elevate your brand image all through the lens of customer-based brand equity and modern digital marketing strategies.
Whether you’re refining your brand management approach or building from scratch, these insights will help you create a brand experience that resonates and drives growth.
What is brand resonance?
Brand resonance refers to the level of connection and loyalty a brand establishes with its audience, extending beyond mere awareness or preference. It’s forming lasting emotional ties that turn buyers into loyal customers and, ultimately, brand advocates.
In competitive markets like CPG, brand resonance is crucial not only for standing out but also for sustaining growth. Successful brands like McDonald’s and Pepsi don’t solely rely on aggressive marketing; they benefit from deep brand associations, explicit brand promises, and a strong brand identity that drive results even when campaigns are simple.
When consumers internalize your brand knowledge and connect with your values, your branding strategy works harder with less effort. This is why managing brand equity is essential to any long-term marketing strategy. The right brand association improves brand perception and reinforces your positioning in every channel.
Brand resonance pyramid.
The brand resonance pyramid is a strategic framework that illustrates the stages a brand goes through to build deep, lasting connections with its audience. Developed as part of a structured brand strategy, often by a brand development agency, it acts as a guide for building engagement and long-term loyalty.
At the foundation of the pyramid is brand salience, which refers to the extent to which a brand is noticed and recognized by consumers. While some confuse brand salience vs brand awareness, salience is about being top-of-mind in brand categories, not just being known. It’s a critical first step toward brand coherence and lasting resonance.
A solid foundation ensures your brand has a presence in the market, paving the way for higher-level connections, such as loyalty and advocacy. If you’re wondering how this plays out in the real world, consider any strong brand resonance example, such as brands like Apple, Nike, or Red Bull, which consistently rise above their competitors and set the tone for resonance in their respective spaces.
The following table gives a detailed snippet of all the steps of the brand resonance pyramid:
| Pyramid Level | Description |
| Brand Salience | Establishing brand presence and recognition. Focus on brand awareness and familiarity. |
| Brand Performance | Delivering brand promises and meeting customer expectations. Emphasizes functional attributes. |
| Brand Imagery | Shaping the brand’s identity, personality, values, and associations. Crafting a compelling narrative. |
| Brand Judgments | Evoking positive evaluations and opinions about the brand. Perceived quality, credibility, and relevance. |
| Cultural Resonance | Forming deep emotional connections, intense loyalty, and active engagement. Creating a brand community. |
Building blocks of brand resonance.
Creating and upholding solid brand resonance is impossible without proper planning. Resonance requires time and effort, encompassing an understanding of consumer behavior and marketing challenges, as well as learning about competitors’ strategies.
Let’s look at the basic building blocks of a successful brand resonance model:
Brand identity.
Creating a distinguished brand identity is the first step, and it’s as easy as one might think. If you examine the market, you will often find “me too” products competing for consumer attention.
However, only those with a unique brand identity will resonate with the target consumer and experience steady growth. Many factors contribute to the uniqueness of the product and the brand.
Key aspects of a brand that contribute to its uniqueness include the brand logo, name, and visual identity. Other aspects, such as the brand story and value proposition, are highly influential points that build a distinguished brand positioning.
Brand meaning.
In the context of the brand resonance model, brand meaning plays a central role in shaping how a brand is perceived and positioned. It’s not just about product features; it’s about the emotional and symbolic connections that create lasting resonance in marketing.
Brand meaning captures the values, purpose, and attributes that differentiate a company from its competitors. It forms the foundation for building resonance in business by aligning the brand’s values with what consumers care about.
To succeed in resonance branding, companies must clearly define their brand’s beliefs and unique qualities. This clarity fuels stronger positioning and deeper customer relationships, key to achieving long-term resonance in business and market loyalty.
Brand response.
A brand response campaign can generate short-term conversions and create awareness and preference for your brand.
The use of powerful messaging helps bring your brand to life, making it resonate with your customers and ultimately fostering trust and long-lasting relationships with your organization.
Companies that evoke positive emotions through their products and resonate with customers on a deeper level can cultivate brand affinity. Emotional connections foster a sense of attachment, trust, and familiarity, increasing the likelihood of repeat purchases and advocacy.
Brand relationships.
Companies must strive to cultivate a strong brand relationship with their target consumers. Such relationships are built on personal, one-on-one interactions that make the consumer feel valued and understood.
Companies can gather the necessary data and insights to tailor experiences to individual preferences, needs, and behaviors. Personalized communications help create a sense of relevance and deepen emotional connections.
To effectively engage with their desired audience, businesses must utilize multiple communication channels and remain accessible at all times. They can establish a strong connection with customers by sharing valuable and relevant information, attentively responding to their feedback, and promptly addressing their concerns. It all leads to enhanced brand loyalty!
How to enhance brand resonance.
After learning about the need and importance of brand resonance, you might be interested in enhancing brand resonance for a new or existing company. Let’s take the essential steps to establish a strong brand resonance and dominate the market.
Aim for consistency and coherence.
When developing a strong brand resonance, consistency and coherence are the first and foremost ingredients in the recipe. It must be practiced in all aspects of business and marketing.
When you work with a branding agency like SmashBrand, it’s essential to ensure they deliver consistent messaging across all channels to stay in touch with your target audience. Providing a coherent brand experience on all consumer touchpoints is also a requirement.
It helps to develop a deeper connection and a strong brand awareness. A packaging design agency can also play an integral role by using consistent colors, imagery, and typography to create a strong brand memory.
Strive for innovation and relevance.
While branding and marketing are essential elements of the game, innovation and relevance are equally crucial to staying ahead of the competition. Product innovation enables companies to remain relevant in the market and adapt to shifting consumer preferences.
It also helps to create a better customer response by focusing on ease of use. Companies must innovate products (and the experiences that support them) using various technological advancements.
Use QR codes and NFC tags to provide additional information about the product.
Reach for branding with an emotional response.
Branding is not just about using fancy design elements. It involves reaching the target audience by engaging them emotionally. A CPG Agency can easily enhance its brand positioning through storytelling.
By crafting narratives that resonate with customers’ experiences, aspirations, and values, brands can tap into their emotions and connect with them on a deeper, more meaningful level. Through storytelling, brands can create empathy, inspire, and leave a lasting impact.
Authentic and relatable stories have the power to forge deep emotional connections that extend beyond transactional interactions.
Take a consumer-centric approach.
To survive today’s competitive landscape, brands must adopt a customer-centric approach. Being customer-centric means prioritizing the needs and preferences of the consumers.
To provide a better customer experience, audience members must understand the target audience’s pain points and motivations. This is the necessary data and meaningful insights we uncover through brand testing.
After that, brands can launch products that match customer expectations. Products that meet consumer expectations lead to a better customer experience.
Examples of brand resonance.
Let’s look at a brand resonance example by comparing the Resonance Pyramid for three prominent athletic footwear brands:
Brand Salience: Nike, renowned for its iconic “Just Do It” slogan, excels at opening doors to possibilities. The brand conveys a sense of empowerment, encouraging individuals to push their limits. On the other hand, Adidas focuses on he idea that everything is possible, emphasizing the limitless potential of its customers.
Brand Performance: Nike boasts top-notch sports associations and strong affiliations with elite athletes, positioning itself as a leader in athletic performance. Adidas, by leveraging professional athletes and fashion icons, strikes a balance between athletic prowess and stylish appeal.
Brand Judgements: Consumers associate Nike with a relentless pursuit of success, sometimes at any cost. Adidas is recognized as a brand that seamlessly combines performance with style, appealing to individuals who value both aspects.
Data-driven brand development agency.
Want a best-selling brand? SmashBrand is a brand development agency for CPG brands seeking to boost performance in retail. From brand strategy to packaging design, we can help you strengthen your position, increase shelf performance, and capture market share.
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A seasoned veteran in the CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) industry, Jason Vaught brings a wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience as the director of content and marketing for SmashBrand. His comprehensive role at the forefront of brand communication ensures that CPG brands remain well-informed about the suite of services SmashBrand offers. Furthermore, his insights derived from the company's strategy, design, and testing services are invaluable to brand owners and managers seeking expert guidance.
From his early endeavors in launching a successful sports nutrition brand that gained prominence in significant bodybuilding and fitness retail spaces to his entrepreneurial ventures in kick-starting multiple brick-and-mortar and e-commerce startups across diverse industries, Jason's career is studded with substantial milestones. Notably, he has innovated numerous products later embraced by leading industry brands, showcasing his knack for anticipating market demands and setting trends.
Jason's journey in the CPG industry commenced at age 21. Over the years, he has worn multiple hats, ranging from a manufacturer and retailer to a distributor and brand owner. This multifaceted experience equips him with the rare ability to offer practical advice grounded in real-world expertise. His mission is to guide and support other CPG brand owners, directors, and managers on their path to success.
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