Model discovery has modified. Huge time. Gone are the times when everybody discovered new merchandise the identical method. At the moment, Gen Alpha, millennials, Gen Z, Gen X, and child boomers are all on the hunt for manufacturers in several spots. From search engines like google and social media, to good old style word-of-mouth, being the place your viewers is has by no means been extra vital. Keep tuned as we share solutions to:
What’s model discovery, and why is it vital?
How do customers discover manufacturers and merchandise?
How does every era discover them?
How do customers analysis services?
How are you going to use GWI knowledge to energy model discovery?
What can TikTok educate 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 shopper journey – the place somebody first comes into contact with a model, and its services.
Why is model discovery vital?
In a crowded market, standing out is not 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, reworking 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 small print. Taking a look at insights from 2024, these are the highest channels driving model discovery as we speak.
Serps
A 3rd of customers (33%) discover new manufacturers and merchandise by means of search engines like google. 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 means of 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 means of suggestions from buddies or household, the influence 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 means of 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 charming content material, a powerful web site will 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 strong reference to audiences, boosting model consciousness in an entertaining method.
Adverts seen on web sites
23% of customers uncover new manufacturers by means of web site adverts. Banner adverts and sponsored content material will be efficient for driving consciousness, particularly when you place them on the best websites. Retail media networks are additionally a rising alternative, as manufacturers can buy advert house on in style retail web sites to succeed in high-intent customers who’re already in a shopping for mindset.
On-line retail web sites
Our knowledge reveals on-line retail web sites introduce 23% of customers to new manufacturers. By partnering with in style e-commerce platforms, you’ll be able to broaden your attain and make it simpler for customers to find your merchandise.
Suggestions and feedback on social media
You don’t must put money into adverts to win on social media; 23% of customers uncover manufacturers by means of suggestions and feedback on social platforms. Partaking together with your viewers and inspiring conversations can construct your model’s popularity and entice new followers.
Client evaluation websites
Lastly, 23% of customers flip to evaluation websites to find new manufacturers and merchandise, exhibiting simply how a lot belief influences shopping for selections. Optimistic evaluations could make all of the distinction, so incentivizing joyful clients to turn out to be model ambassadors and share their experiences with others is an effective way to spice up model consciousness.
So there you may have it: search engines like google and TV adverts reign supreme. However do these prime spots shift once 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’ll be able to’t goal Gen Alpha in the identical method 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 need to purchase, and 22% scroll for type 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 essential 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 means of social media adverts (32%), TV adverts (28%), and search engines like google (28%). However what you won’t know is 26% nonetheless depend on word-of-mouth suggestions from family and friends. It goes to indicate that, even for this tech-forward era, belief and private connections nonetheless carry loads of weight.
Nevertheless it’s not simply the same old channels catching Gen Z’s consideration — being digital-first, they’re particularly attentive to adverts in additional immersive and interactive areas. They’re 36% extra doubtless than the common shopper to find manufacturers by means of adverts in video video games, 33% extra more likely to discover them by means of vlogs, and 28% extra more likely to discover them by means of adverts in digital areas.
How do millennials uncover merchandise and new manufacturers?
Millennials sometimes uncover new manufacturers and merchandise through search engines like google (33%), social media adverts (31%), and TV adverts (31%). And as a era that stands out for being assured utilizing know-how (46% of millennials say this), it is sensible that they present a singular affinity for social media updates straight from manufacturers (11% greater than common), professional weblog posts or evaluations (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 tips on how to navigate each on-line and offline worlds in the case of discovering new manufacturers. This era, identified for his or her model loyalty, flip to search engines like google 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. In reality, they’re 15% extra doubtless than the common shopper to have interaction with promotions or shows in-store, and 14% extra more likely to uncover manufacturers by means of product brochures and catalogues.
How do child boomers discover new manufacturers?
Wanting on the traits of child boomers, it’s clear a lot of as we speak’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 (37%), and in-store promotions (31%). Print media is especially influential for this era — they’re 59% extra doubtless than the common shopper to have interaction with newspaper or journal articles, 48% extra more likely to discover print adverts, and 37% extra doubtless to concentrate to junk 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 in search of 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 knowledge by era, some key variations come to mild:
For Gen X and child boomers, their prime analysis channels are search engines like google (57%), adopted by shopper evaluations (41%), then social networks (39%)
Whereas for Gen Z and millennials, social networks take the highest spot (51%), adopted by search engines like google (48%), then shopper evaluations (36%)
These insights stress the necessity for manufacturers to adapt their methods to every age group’s preferences, ensuring they share related information within the locations every era is most definitely to see it.
How are you going to use GWI knowledge to energy model discovery?
Should you’ve made it this far, you already perceive the worth of realizing the place and the way totally different customers discover manufacturers. A focused model discovery technique isn’t simply sensible — it’s important for connecting together with your viewers on a deeper stage. Right here’s how GWI may also help you craft a profitable model discovery technique:
Pinpoint the perfect channels
The place does every era go to search out new manufacturers? Knowledge 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 influence.
Perceive what clicks together with your viewers
When you’ve nailed down your channel, select a content material format that’s immediately related. Our knowledge helps you uncover the content material that finest 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 residence
Now you realize 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 essential to making sure your model’s precisely the place individuals are trying. By monitoring rising channels and adapting your model discovery technique, you’ll attain audiences when and the place it issues most, holding your model related and prime of thoughts.
What can TikTok educate us about model discovery?
Assume TikTok’s only for leisure? Assume once more.
TikTok’s personal knowledge recommended 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 workforce discovered these senior leaders had been turning to the platform for networking, decision-making, and, right here’s the massive one – discovering new manufacturers and merchandise. This perception essentially 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 knowledge to assist their findings, TikTok might now place itself as a invaluable 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 diversified generational preferences, a profitable technique needs to be dynamic, adaptive, and data-led to seize consideration and drive significant engagement.
Prepared to maneuver past fundamental focusing on and pinpoint your excellent viewers with adverts they’ll’t ignore? You want our media planning information.
Model discovery FAQs
How do I enhance my model discovery technique?
Deal with understanding your viewers’s go-to channels, then create content material that captures their consideration. Observe what’s working and sustain with shifting shopper developments to verify your method stays efficient.
What channels ought to I concentrate on for model discovery?
Channels differ by viewers: search engines like google and TV are broad winners, social media resonates with youthful audiences, and conventional media works properly with older demographics. The secret’s to make use of the best shopper knowledge to information your decisions.
