What Brand Awareness Means (and How to Make It Work)
Brand awareness is how quickly and accurately people think of your brand when a need arises—and how confidently they recognize you when they see you. It’s the starting line for every sale, the gate to market share, and the strongest predictor of long-term pricing power.
At TOMA.Solutions, we break awareness into three tiers you can actually plan and buy against:
TOMA.Solutions Questions):
Unaided: “When you think of [category] which companies come to mind first?”
Aided: “Which of the following brands have you heard of?”
Output We Deliver:
Market-level TOMA.Solutions ranking and gap-to-leader
Aided awareness penetration and “convertible” audience size
Cuts by age, gender, income, county/ZIP, and media consumption to guide buys
Frequency:
- Annual
- More often if requested
Key Performance
Indicators That Matter
Top-of-Mind-Awareness:
What % of general market consumers mentioned your brand unaided.
What % of consumers in your target mentioned your brand unaided.
What share of all mentions your brand gets.
First Choice:
What % of general market consumers mentioned your brand first.
What % of consumers in your target mentioned your brand unaided.
Aided Awareness:
What % of general market consumers recognize your brand.
What % of consumers in your target, recognize your brand
What share of all aided mentions your brand gets.
From Insight to Action
For Advertisers
Own a mental shortcut. Anchor a single, specific promise (“Fast AC repair, today”) and repeat it ‘till you own the top-of-mind in your category.
Simplify assets. One tag line targeted to the consumer pain point that plays to your strength.and used relentlessly.
Media. Use the strength of traditional media to give you reach. Focus the number of media
so you dominate the consumers’ mind. Use websites for retargeting and offers. Use search to convert.
Localize memory cues. Add neighborhood names, landmarks, or local talent to prime recall at decision time.
From Insight to Action
For Ad Agencies
Targeted Create ads that can be recalled in 1–2 seconds.
Benchmark to a number. Set a TOMA lift goal (e.g., +5 pts in Q2) and tie messaging + reach + frequency to that KPI.
Focus. If aided recall is high but TOMA is low, focus on distinctive creative with consistent campaign to own category.
From Insight to Action For Local Media
Sell against the TOMA gap. Show advertisers where they rank today and how your audience reaches their target consumer and closes the distance to #1.
Package reach with memory. Pair reach and frequency placements (radio/OTT/CTV/OOH) with creative coaching on distinctiveness.
Profile by Category. Show strengths by consumer categories, media and demographics.
Category moments. Align heavy-up windows to real demand triggers (first heat wave, back-to-school, tax refund week).
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