Photo by disco | modjo

We’ve all been to a party where we remember someone’s face, but not their name. Or their name, but not their “story”. Or their “story” but not what they look like. We even have language for it (“good with faces”, etc.)

So why is it that when we launch a business we’re so focused on the perfect business name? Or the perfect tagline? The goal of any name, phrase, or image is to be remembered (when the time is right by the prospect). We forget that not everyone remembers what we tell them. To usual way to help them remember (in business) is with emails, advertisements, direct mail, etc. That’s somewhat useful, since people are barraged with information daily, and reminding people keeps you “top of mind”.

Consider that a business’ image is much like a person’s image. Both have names. Both live somewhere. Both have stories about themselves. Instead of a face, a business has a logo. Therefore, the next time you create a marketing effort, ensure that you are tickling all your prospects’ brain cells: visual (logo), logical (name), and context (stories). If you want to tickle more brain cells, engage more senses: smell (like Abercrombie’s stores), hearing (a jingle), or even touch/taste (something tangible). That’s why the best marketing engages the brain’s ability to recall not just facts but sensory memory (“The sound of a light rain on an autumn night” or “The first bite of an imported dark chocolate bar” or “The new car smell”).