Investing in awareness is essential, whether your product is new or established. If consumers don't know you're there, they don't buy your product. Buying such share of mind can be pretty expensive, of course. And once you have it, you still have to maintain your investment to keep it. Unfortunately, too, this first link in the value chain on its own will always remain the weakest link.
Consumers are fickle.
A competitor with catchy creative, an attractive offer, or a bigger advertising budget can wrest this bond away from you. You can overcome these weaknesses by forging strong links further along the chain. The second link is where you establish a deeper, feeling connection with your prospects and customers. We call this the identity bond. It's a bond based on shared values and aspirations.