If you conducted a survey of entrepreneurs or business leaders, asking them to name their three biggest challenges, I can guarantee that nine times out of ten, attracting more customers and creating brand awareness would be on that list.

The default method for creating brand awareness goes something like this.

Old rules of brand awareness:

1. Make something for everyone.
2. Tell your story.
3. Attract customers.
4. Build brand awareness.

The brands that succeed today though turn this on its head.

New rules of brand awareness:

1. Understand the customer’s story.
2. Make something they want.
3. Give them a story to tell.
4. Create brand affinity.

While we are busy employing tactics to get more people to notice us, we are overlooking the greatest opportunity we have to drive the sustainable growth and success of our businesses.

Affinity endures and it trumps fleeting awareness every time.

Image by Bob Prosser.