Research: Brand Salience

Brand salience measures the awareness of the brand. "To what extent is the brand top-of-mind and easily recalled or recognised? What types of cues or reminders are necessary?"

The tendency of a brand to be thought of in a buying situation is known as "brand salience". Brand Salience is "the propensity for a brand to be noticed and/or thought of in buying situations" and the higher the brand salience the higher it's market penetration and therefore its market share. Salience refers not to what customers think about brands but which ones they think about.

Brands which come to mind on an unaided basis are likely to be the brands in a customer's consideration set and thus have a higher probability of being purchased. Advertising weight and brand salience are cues to customers indicating which brands are popular, and customers have a tendency to buy popular brands. Also, an increase in the salience of one brand can actually inhibit recall of other brands, including brands otherwise would be candidates for purchase.

It is widely acknowledged that buyer's do not see their brand as being any different from other brands that are available. They buy a particular brand because they are more aware of it, not because it is more distinctive, or has a point of difference.