Michael Epps Utley 
Every business wants its brand—and the brand names of the products and services it sells—to be number one, even if it's merely in their local market.
This guide explains how to make your brand a household name.
What Is Brand Fame?
Brand awareness is one thing; brand fame takes things to another level.
Brand fame is like celebrity fame. It’s a brand's widespread recognition and the positive perception of it, whether worldwide or in a specific local niche. It goes above and beyond brand awareness and results from people having a deep connection to the values, emotions, and experiences a brand represents.
Brand fame means a business's presence becomes part of people’s everyday lives, whether globally, nationally, or locally. This means that the brand has become a household name. Think Google, Nike, Amazon—or a beloved local pizza joint. Consider why we often call a box of tissues “Kleenex” or a flying disc a “Frisbee.” That’s brand fame on the largest scale.
For small businesses and startups, becoming brand-famous might seem impossible. However, if you think about it, you can likely come up with several smaller but ubiquitous brands in your local area and industry niche. And if you put in the effort, your business will likely join their ranks.
Brand Fame Versus Brand Awareness: The Difference
Brand awareness is knowledge of a brand’s existence. It is measured by:
The number of people who know about a brand
What they know about it
What they recall of it
For example, if someone sees your company’s logo and recalls your business name, they demonstrate brand awareness.
Brand fame is less about knowledge about a brand’s existence and more about its constant presence in people’s minds and their passion for it.
Consumers are more likely to buy products and services from famous brands, even locally. Of course, there are exceptions to this, such as people who prefer to purchase no-name items to save money. But in most cases, buyers tend to be attracted to famous brands.
The Benefits of Building a Famous Brand
Investing in your brand will pay off over the long haul. That’s because the more widespread your brand is, the less you have to spend on making the people you’re targeting aware of your business and educating them about your products and services. Convincing buyers to choose your business over your competitors will eventually require less time, effort, and money.
Customers tend to be more loyal to famous brands. They come back time and again to buy more, making marketing and sales far more efficient. Ubiquitous brands also earn more word-of-mouth, essentially free promotion of an organization. Brand fame makes it easier to defend against competitors, too. Consumers are less likely to seek alternatives to well-known and liked companies.
The final benefit of brand fame is that people are willing to pay more for products and services from well-known companies and are less resistant to price increases. Keep in mind, however, that this premium only has staying power if the brand maintains its reputation (which depends on consistent product or service quality).
What Is Brand Strategy?
A brand strategy is a document that explains how a business presents itself to prospective buyers in a way that differentiates it from competitors. It outlines what you want people to think, feel, and understand about your brand. A brand strategy is more than a brand name, logo, font, image, and color guidelines. It also includes things like a brand’s:
Vision
Mission
Purpose
Values
Personality
Promises to customers
Building a Brand Bound to Become Famous
Here are the foundational elements for a brand to become well-known and beloved.
Name and Logo
A business’s name and related visual elements, such as a logo, color, or typeface, are its primary identifiers.
A brand name and logo don’t have to be brilliant or expensive to become famous. However, they need to be well-considered, easily absorbed, and strategically planned. Make sure they deliver the perception you want of your organization.
Vision and Mission
Famous brands are built on a meaningful purpose. Their mission—what they stand for—attracts consumers and repeat buyers over time. The vision guides their everyday operations, driving them to deliver consistent, superior customer experiences over time. Having a purpose that resonates with consumers and standing for something more than selling gives brands substance and meaning and keeps them relevant.
Values and Culture
Famous brands typically operate around core values that humanize them and allow them to operate effectively. Values articulate what a brand stands for, how the organization operates, and guide what it offers the world.
Brand Personality
Brand personality reflects what the brand would be like if it were a person. Ask yourself, if your brand was human:
What would they be like?
What are their personality traits?
How do they speak, act, sound, and come across?
Answering these questions could help you develop a famous brand personality, especially in the age of social media.
Brand Positioning and Benefits
Brand positioning is all about how you want people to perceive your company. Positioning can make or break it. You must be able to articulate what will make it different and better in the minds of consumers. They must come away with a clear reason to select your business over competitors.
Value Proposition
Your value proposition explains why someone should buy from your brand.
Most value propositions from famous brands combine all the other elements of a brand’s essence. Think of it as a promise from the business to its buyers. It should clearly articulate to consumers what they can expect every time they interact with your organization.
Brand Attributes
Attributes are qualities, characteristics, and associations that define a brand for consumers. When developing a brand, it’s critical to plan these things carefully. Ultimately, they will guide you in choosing imagery and visual elements, designing promotional material, writing copy, and creating customer experiences that fully bring your brand to life—and hopefully make it famous.
Brand Fame: The Final Word
Every business wants to become famous in the minds of consumers. This makes it easier and cheaper to generate sales and repeat business. You don’t need to be the next Starbucks or Apple, but leveraging the information in this guide will lay the foundation for a brand that will achieve fame—even on the local level—over time.
