Too many times have we watched our brilliantly-conceived advertising have no apparent effect upon sales or market share. Too many times have our bright hopes been dashed on the rocks of reality, or submerged in a tide of ambiguity. If we cannot consistently observe the positive effects of advertising, it is only natural that we suffer the pangs of advertising agnosticism. People cannot buy a product they are unaware of. Awareness helps people see a brand in the store.
Awareness affects perception.
An example will illustrate. Nothing had changed, except your awareness. The new word was not suddenly being used more frequently by society. You were merely perceiving it for the first time. Advertising can create a model people wish to identify with and imitate.