Understanding T.O.M.A for Your Business Marketing

Even if you have never considered T.O.M.A for your business marketing plans , you can be sure that in one way or another, you have experienced it.

Top of Mind Awareness, also referred to as T.O.M.A, can be considered the Holy Grail of brand awareness and identity. Marketing and Advertising agencies not only strive to strengthen the presence of a brand, but have made it their mission to get a product at “Top of Mind”.

So, what exactly is T.O.M.A? It can be defined as the first brand that comes to mind when asked an unprompted question about a category.

Ellis Verdi, former president of the National Retail Advertisers Council in the US coined the term T.O.M.A to give industry leaders a better understanding of how your business marketing development can build a strong R.O.I. He believed business owners failed to create strong marketing techniques and typically used discounting through coupons to achieve their promotional objectives. He saw discounting as a band-aid solution with a short term cash flow result.

Top of Mind Awareness impacts consumers psychologically to think of a product or brand first to fulfill their needs above all others.

Here is a demonstration. Name the first product that comes to mind.

1. Think of a cough medicine.
NyQuil?

2. What about an American car company?
Ford.

3. Fast food drive-thru?
McDonalds

4. Pizza delivery?
Dominoes

I’ll bet your answer was the same that was given for number 3.

McDonald’s can be seen as a prime example for achieving T.O.M. A. We can all admit that McDonalds does not have the best food, yet how many of us think of them first when we need a quick meal on the go or have the munchies? It is no wonder they make billions of dollars every year. Similarly, not everyone loves Starbucks coffee yet when put in a situation to meet a friend, business associate or potential client, how many people automatically suggest meeting at a local Starbucks? These are perfect examples of how Top of Mind Awareness can lead to growing your business.

Your Business Marketing MUSTS for Achieving Top of Mind Awareness

The best way to create TOMA for business marketing is to differentiate your brand or product from your direct competition. If you want to develop Top of Mind Awareness for your target market , the following six factors are crucial:

Personal Contact with customers
Company Literature describing products and services
An ongoing Public Relations program
Consistent and ongoing Customer Education
Consistent and ongoing Advertising
Regular use of Direct Marketing

If you own or work for a company, how many of these have been implemented into your business marketing proposal? Integrating each of these factors is the only way to experience the real benefits of Top of Mind Awareness in your industry.

To inquire about Tigris for experiential marketing, events and more, call us at 647-286-9392 for a free no-obligation quote. Services for your business marketing plans are available all across Canada including top locations Calgary, AB | Toronto, ON | Vancouver, BC.