In the world of marketing, ideas shift fast. But one idea continues to cause a stir: how brands grow what marketers don’t know. It questions many long-held beliefs and pushes professionals to rethink the basics of growth.
This concept was popularized by Professor Byron Sharp through his groundbreaking book “How Brands Grow”. Instead of embracing popular but vague advice, Sharp backs his claims with years of research and data. The result? A simple but strong message: much of what marketers believe just doesn’t match real-world behavior.
Let’s unpack why this matters.
What Most Marketers Get Wrong About Growth
Many marketers fall into a common trap. They believe growth comes from building strong customer loyalty. The thinking goes like this: keep your current buyers happy and they will buy more. While that sounds right, the data tells a different story.
According to Sharp’s research, brand growth doesn’t come mainly from loyal customers—it comes from gaining more buyers. In fact, growing brands usually have more light or occasional buyers. These people aren’t passionate about the brand. They just happen to buy it when the need arises.
The myth of loyalty leads marketers to spend too much on retention. They focus on CRM systems, VIP offers, and loyalty programs. But this often ignores a larger audience: people who don’t yet buy your brand at all.
A key part of brand growth today also depends on how digital marketing enhances brand awareness.
Mental and Physical Availability Drive Real Growth
Two key ideas from How Brands Grow explain why some brands succeed while others stall:
Mental Availability
This is about how easily a brand comes to mind. When someone thinks of buying soft drinks, they think of Coke. That mental shortcut happens not because of deep love for the brand but because the brand is linked to the category.
Mental availability grows with repeated exposure. It’s not just about creativity. It’s about showing up again and again, in consistent and simple ways. Being familiar is powerful.
Physical Availability
No matter how well someone knows your brand, it won’t help if they can’t find it when they need it. Physical availability means being easy to buy. This includes wide distribution, product placement, packaging, and pricing.
Successful brands invest in both. They make sure people remember them and can access them easily. Many small brands do one or the other, but not both.
Heavy Buyers Are Overrated
One of the biggest surprises in Sharp’s work is how little heavy buyers contribute to long-term growth. Yes, they buy often, but there aren’t many of them. Relying on them can leave a brand stuck.
Brands grow by attracting non-buyers and light buyers. This group is large, even if each person buys only once or twice a year. Together, they fuel sustainable growth.
This is why mass marketing, which many see as outdated, still works. It’s not about targeting everyone. It’s about reaching as many category buyers as possible, especially those who might not know or remember your brand.
Why Emotional Branding Isn’t Enough
Modern marketers love emotional storytelling. They want to build deep connections with audiences. But while emotion has a place, Sharp warns that it’s often oversold.
His research shows that people don’t think deeply about brands. Buying is usually automatic and driven by habit. Most consumers don’t even notice the emotional themes. What they remember is the logo, the product look, or the tagline—simple cues that build familiarity.
Instead of investing in abstract emotional messaging, Sharp recommends using consistent brand assets. These include logos, colors, slogans, and distinctive visuals. These tools help build memory and recognition, which are more important for real-world buying.
Targeting Is Tricky—Mass Reach Still Matters
Another thing marketers often get wrong is over-targeting. With today’s tools, it’s easy to segment audiences by age, income, habits, or interests. But this often shrinks the audience too much.
Sharp argues for broad targeting. Even if a product seems to suit a niche, it can still appeal to a wide market. You don’t grow by focusing on tiny groups—you grow by being noticed by everyone who might need what you offer, even once in a while.
Narrow targeting risks missing light buyers. And remember—they’re the key to growth.
Advertising Should Focus on Memory, Not Persuasion
We often think advertising must convince people to choose us. But again, Sharp’s research points elsewhere. Most ads don’t persuade. They remind.
An ad doesn’t need to change someone’s mind. It just needs to keep the brand in the consumer’s memory. The goal isn’t deep thinking; it’s recognition at the right time.
This is why repeated exposure is so powerful. Ads don’t work like magic—they work like rain. A little bit, over and over, makes the brand stick.
What This Means for Marketers Today
The lessons in How Brands Grow aren’t just theory. They challenge marketers to act differently:
- Focus on reaching more people, not just pleasing current buyers.
- Use simple, distinctive brand assets that are easy to recall.
- Aim for mass availability—online and offline.
- Advertise often, not necessarily deeply.
- Stop obsessing over loyalty and over-targeted messages.
These insights don’t mean loyalty or emotions don’t matter. But they remind us that brand building is more about reach and availability than feelings and frequency.
How to Apply This in a Digital World
You might wonder: do these principles still apply with today’s digital tools? The answer is yes—maybe even more so.
Digital platforms offer precision, but they also make it easier to repeat and scale messages. Brands can show up across YouTube, display ads, search, and social media with consistent branding.
Instead of chasing hyper-targeted performance ads only, combine it with broad awareness campaigns. Use digital not just to convert, but to stay top-of-mind.
Final Thoughts
Understanding how brands grow what marketers don’t know is not just about reading a book. It’s about challenging your thinking and questioning what you’ve been taught.
Marketing is filled with myths. Some are comforting but wrong. The truth is simpler: grow by reaching more people, staying available, and being remembered.
That’s not flashy. But it works.
