Brand Association Online is there for anyone to see

If you don't actually sell anything on your website, or ask for customer sign-ups, applications or subscriptions, there is a question about whether PPC has any value to you. This is a question that major brands are starting to tackle. Underlying the use of PPC for brand building online is the point:is brand association visible online?

Google Trends is more than a toy (but only just)

I wondered, last month in the run-up to Valentine's day, whether there was a connection between 'Roses' as a search term, and the brand 'Interflora'. So I went to Google Trends. This is what I saw.

There appears to be correlation between searches on the two terms, during February of each year. Note that the seasonal fluctuation is required to show the correlation - if both lines were flat or equally curved there would be no evidence of specific causes that connect the two.

The correlation is most evident around peaks about 14th February. Note that correlation does not imply cause and effect - what this chart is showing that about the time of those peaks, the causes of the spike in searches for the term 'roses' are connected to the causes of the spike in searches for 'interflora'.

(Note the interesting reduction in correlation for the second spike in each year, .. demonstrating that people are less interested to buy roses for Mother's day than they are for Valentine's day. Sorry Mum.)

So then I looked at another example. 'Fitness First' is a well-known chain of gyms.

The correlation, or association, between 'gyms' and 'Fitness First' is written large. The drivers that make Joe or Jane Public search for gyms are the same as those making them search for 'Fitness First'

One final example. BSM (British School of Motoring) and 'driving school'.

What does this mean if I have a brand?

What it means is this: brand association exists and is very strong online. If you have invested in a brand, there is absolutely no excuse for not using search marketing to enhance your engagement and messaging with your audience - not just by SEO but by PPC also, even if you don't sell anything off your website, you should be intercepting your customers online activity at the time they are most likely to be receptive - when they are actively searching for terms you wish to be associated with.

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