Mental
Availability

Mental Availability has not time for Popular Branding. This idea that consumers "fall in love" with a brand, and this affinity somehow
influences buying behavior is entirely unproven.

In fact, data from The Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science, shows that most people tend to not even think of brands unless they have a specific need.

Therefore, at Charley + Company, the only question we believe every company should be asking is: How can we be top-of-mind when that need arises?

According to Byron Sharp in his book How Brands Grow, Mental Availability is "based on the network structure in buyers' memories."

For example, Sharp states that memory associations for a bank brand would look like:
 

• a branch near work​

• home loans

• internet banking

• friends bank there

• a branch on high street

• someone I know worked there

• can get cash out

• Visa

• my first credit card (and the bike I bought)

• the color, logo, staff uniform, etc.

Therefore, the goal of every marketing department is to know and understand these relevant associations, and refresh them again and again and again with consistent communications.

So when it's time to buy, and that specific benefit is needed, the brand has a stronger chance of being linked with that association.

That's Mental Availability.