Model discovery has modified. Huge time. Gone are the times when everybody discovered new merchandise the identical means. Immediately, Gen Alpha, millennials, Gen Z, Gen X, and child boomers are all on the hunt for manufacturers in numerous spots. From search engines like google and yahoo and social media, to good old style word-of-mouth, being the place your viewers is has by no means been extra necessary. Keep tuned as we share solutions to:
- What’s model discovery, and why is it necessary?
- How do customers discover manufacturers and merchandise?
- How does every era discover them?
- How do customers analysis services?
- How will you use GWI information to energy model discovery?
- What can TikTok train us about model discovery?
- Model discovery FAQs
Let’s dive into what it actually takes to seize customers’ consideration in 2025.
What’s model discovery?
Model discovery is how customers discover and join with new manufacturers. It’s the start line of the buyer journey – the place somebody first comes into contact with a model, and its services.
Why is model discovery necessary?
In a crowded market, standing out isn’t any simple feat. Model discovery is what turns heads and makes your model memorable. It’s extra than simply visibility — it’s about sparking that “Oh, I’ve seen them earlier than!” feeling. Sturdy model discovery helps you construct familiarity and belief, remodeling first impressions into lasting connections that drive gross sales and increase income.
How do customers discover manufacturers and merchandise?
Let’s get straight to the main points. Taking a look at insights from 2024, these are the highest channels driving model discovery at the moment.
Engines like google
A 3rd of customers (33%) discover new manufacturers and merchandise by search engines like google and yahoo. This highlights the significance of optimizing your on-line presence so potential clients can simply uncover you with only a fast search.
Adverts seen on TV
One other 33% of customers uncover manufacturers by TV adverts. Whereas the digital panorama is rising, conventional media nonetheless performs a key position in reaching audiences.
Phrase-of-mouth suggestions from buddies or household
With 30% of customers discovering new manufacturers by suggestions from buddies or household, the affect of non-public connections is evident. Manufacturers can faucet into this by encouraging happy clients to unfold the phrase — providing incentives like referral reductions or loyalty factors to show constructive experiences into highly effective endorsements.
Adverts seen on social media
30% of customers discover new manufacturers by social media adverts. Make your model the one which stops the scroll — seize consideration with sharp focusing on and fascinating content material that stands out in busy feeds.
Model/product web sites
For 26% of customers, model and product discovery begins on official web sites. From eye-catching design to fascinating content material, a powerful web site could be the distinction between a fast browse and a brand new buyer.
TV reveals and movies
Have you ever ever seen a product in a film or TV present that caught your eye? So have 25% of customers. These strategic placements can create a robust reference to audiences, boosting model consciousness in an entertaining means.
Adverts seen on web sites
23% of customers uncover new manufacturers by web site adverts. Banner adverts and sponsored content material could be efficient for driving consciousness, particularly when you place them on the fitting websites. Retail media networks are additionally a rising alternative, as manufacturers should purchase advert house on widespread retail web sites to achieve high-intent customers who’re already in a shopping for mindset.
On-line retail web sites
Our information reveals on-line retail web sites introduce 23% of customers to new manufacturers. By partnering with widespread e-commerce platforms, you may broaden your attain and make it simpler for customers to find your merchandise.
Suggestions and feedback on social media
You don’t should put money into adverts to win on social media; 23% of customers uncover manufacturers by suggestions and feedback on social platforms. Partaking along with your viewers and inspiring conversations can construct your model’s status and appeal to new followers.
Client overview websites
Lastly, 23% of customers flip to overview websites to find new manufacturers and merchandise, exhibiting simply how a lot belief influences shopping for choices. Constructive opinions could make all of the distinction, so incentivizing comfortable clients to change into model ambassadors and share their experiences with others is an effective way to spice up model consciousness.
So there you’ve it: search engines like google and yahoo and TV adverts reign supreme. However do these prime spots shift after we have a look at generational habits? Let’s discover out.
How does every era discover manufacturers and merchandise?
Each marketer is aware of you may’t goal Gen Alpha in the identical means you’d attain a child boomer, and that is very true in the case of model discovery. Right here’s a breakdown of what captures consideration and drives discovery throughout the totally different age teams.
How do Gen Alpha uncover manufacturers?
Gen Alpha could also be younger, however they’re already savvy customers, with social media taking part in an enormous position in how they discover manufacturers and merchandise. Amongst children aged 12-15 who use social platforms, 29% say they’re there to maintain up with their favourite manufacturers, 26% use it to find issues they wish to purchase, and 22% scroll for fashion inspiration. And this affect is barely rising.
In Europe, the variety of 12-15 12 months olds utilizing social media to search out merchandise has spiked by 13% since 2021, whereas the quantity following manufacturers has gone up 14%. Attending to grips with Gen Alpha’s distinctive traits is important for reaching this youngest era of customers, and a powerful social media presence is vital for manufacturers to remain seen and related.
How do Gen Z uncover new manufacturers and merchandise?
It ought to come as no shock that tech-native Gen Z primarily uncover new manufacturers by social media adverts (32%), TV adverts (28%), and search engines like google and yahoo (28%). However what you won’t know is 26% nonetheless depend on word-of-mouth suggestions from family and friends. It goes to point out that, even for this tech-forward era, belief and private connections nonetheless carry a whole lot of weight.
However it’s not simply the same old channels catching Gen Z’s consideration — being digital-first, they’re particularly conscious of adverts in additional immersive and interactive areas. They’re 36% extra doubtless than the typical shopper to find manufacturers by adverts in video video games, 33% extra more likely to discover them by vlogs, and 28% extra more likely to discover them by adverts in digital areas.
How do millennials uncover merchandise and new manufacturers?
Millennials usually uncover new manufacturers and merchandise through search engines like google and yahoo (33%), social media adverts (31%), and TV adverts (31%). And as a era that stands out for being assured utilizing expertise (46% of millennials say this), it is smart that they present a singular affinity for social media updates instantly from manufacturers (11% greater than common), knowledgeable weblog posts or opinions (11% extra), and influencer endorsements (10% extra).
So what does this imply for manufacturers seeking to interact millennials? It’s all about authenticity, relevance, and experience. Millennials worth manufacturers that really feel real and supply knowledgeable, reliable views.
How do Gen X uncover new manufacturers?
Gen X know the way to navigate each on-line and offline worlds in the case of discovering new manufacturers. This era, recognized for his or her model loyalty, flip to search engines like google and yahoo most frequently (37%), however in addition they catch TV adverts (36%) and belief suggestions from buddies (33%).
What actually units them aside, although, is their appreciation for in-store experiences — issues like promotions and product brochures are significantly influential. Actually, they’re 15% extra doubtless than the typical shopper to have interaction with promotions or shows in-store, and 14% extra more likely to uncover manufacturers by product brochures and catalogues.
How do child boomers discover new manufacturers?
Wanting on the traits of child boomers, it’s clear a lot of at the moment’s promoting misses the mark with this group. So, what does work?
For model discovery, child boomers gravitate towards acquainted, trusted channels and conventional media. TV adverts are their prime supply at 45%, adopted intently by word-of-mouth suggestions from buddies or household (39%), search engines like google and yahoo (37%), and in-store promotions (31%). Print media is especially influential for this era — they’re 59% extra doubtless than the typical shopper to have interaction with newspaper or journal articles, 48% extra more likely to discover print adverts, and 37% extra doubtless to concentrate to unsolicited mail.
How do customers analysis services?
After customers uncover your model, the subsequent step they’ll doubtless take is definitely researching it. When customers are actively searching for extra details about manufacturers, merchandise, or providers, these are the highest on-line sources they use:
However as soon as once more, age performs an enormous half. After we phase this information by era, some key variations come to mild:
- For Gen X and child boomers, their prime analysis channels are search engines like google and yahoo (57%), adopted by shopper opinions (41%), then social networks (39%)
- Whereas for Gen Z and millennials, social networks take the highest spot (51%), adopted by search engines like google and yahoo (48%), then shopper opinions (36%)
These insights stress the necessity for manufacturers to adapt their methods to every age group’s preferences, ensuring they share related data within the locations every era is almost certainly to see it.
How will you use GWI information to energy model discovery?
If you happen to’ve made it this far, you already perceive the worth of figuring out the place and the way totally different customers discover manufacturers. A focused model discovery technique isn’t simply sensible — it’s important for connecting along with your viewers on a deeper degree. Right here’s how GWI may also help you craft a successful model discovery technique:
Pinpoint the most effective channels
The place does every era go to search out new manufacturers? Information from our shopper analysis platform takes the guesswork out of the equation, serving to you discover the candy spots — from Gen Z’s favourite social platforms to boomers’ go-to magazines and TV reveals. Get straight to the channels that take advantage of affect.
Perceive what clicks along with your viewers
When you’ve nailed down your channel, select a content material format that’s immediately related. Our information helps you uncover the content material that greatest appeals to totally different shopper teams – from Gen X’s choice for in-store shows, to Gen Z’s love of interactive adverts.
Create campaigns that hit house
Now you understand your viewers’s most popular channel content material, it’s time to craft a marketing campaign that speaks to every group of their language. Our insights allow you to form messages which are tuned in and tailor-made, driving actual engagement the place it issues most.
Keep on prime of what’s subsequent
Traits change quick. Staying forward of shifts in discovery habits is vital to making sure your model’s precisely the place persons are wanting. By monitoring rising channels and adapting your model discovery technique, you’ll attain audiences when and the place it issues most, maintaining your model related and prime of thoughts.
What can TikTok train us about model discovery?
Assume TikTok’s only for leisure? Assume once more.
TikTok’s personal information prompt a rising variety of skilled C-suite customers on the platform, however they wanted a third-party supply to solidify this narrative. Enter GWI. With our viewers insights, TikTok verified that 74% of C-suite execs within the UAE and Saudi Arabia had been actively utilizing the platform — not only for leisure, however more and more for enterprise.
Digging deeper, the group discovered these senior leaders had been turning to the platform for networking, decision-making, and, right here’s the large one – discovering new manufacturers and merchandise. This perception basically challenged the normal notion of TikTok as an leisure house alone, proving it to be an rising hub for model discovery amongst high-level professionals.
With dependable third-party information to help their findings, TikTok might now place itself as a priceless channel for manufacturers seeking to attain influential decision-makers within the GCC.
Key takeaways
In 2025, efficient model discovery means assembly customers the place they’re – on the channels they belief most, with the kind of content material they worth. With such various generational preferences, a profitable technique needs to be dynamic, adaptive, and data-led to seize consideration and drive significant engagement.
Prepared to maneuver past primary focusing on and pinpoint your supreme viewers with adverts they will’t ignore? You want our media planning information.
Model discovery FAQs
How do I enhance my model discovery technique?
Give attention to understanding your viewers’s go-to channels, then create content material that captures their consideration. Observe what’s working and sustain with shifting shopper tendencies to ensure your strategy stays efficient.
What channels ought to I give attention to for model discovery?
Channels differ by viewers: search engines like google and yahoo and TV are broad winners, social media resonates with youthful audiences, and conventional media works properly with older demographics. The bottom line is to make use of the fitting shopper information to information your decisions.
Uncover the worldwide tendencies shaping shopper habits
