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    Business Strategy with Hirav Shah                                 SEPTEMBER 11, 2026       |  The Indian Eye 41

                         If Customers Forget You in 10

                Seconds, Your Branding Has Failed

             In a crowded market, being better is not enough. You have to be different and clear

                                                                                                                      Repeat this test with five to ten
                                                                                                                  people. If their answers are inconsis-
                                                                                                                  tent, your brand is sending mixed sig-
                                                                                                                  nals. Strong branding creates a similar
                                                                                                                  impression in different minds.

                                                                                                                        Frequently Asked Questions
                                                                                                                  1. Is a memorable logo enough to build a
                                                                                                                  strong brand?
                                                                                                                      No. A logo supports recognition,
                       HIRAV SHAH                                                                                 but your positioning, message, experi-
                                                                                                                  ence, values, and consistency build the
                                                                                                                  brand. A beautiful logo cannot com-
                   ave you ever come across a                                                                     pensate for an unclear identity.
                   brand… and forgotten it al-
            Hmost instantly?                                                                                      2. Should a business change its branding
                                                                                                                  if customers do not remember it?
                Not   because  it  was  bad.
                                                                                                                      Not always completely. First
            But because it felt like everything else.                                                             identify whether the problem is the
                That’s the real problem in today’s
            market. Businesses are not losing cus-                                                                name, message, design, positioning, or
                                                                                                                  inconsistent communication. Some-
            tomers because of poor quality. They                                                                  times a sharper message is more ef-
            are losing because they are forgettable.
                                                                                                                  fective than a full rebranding exercise.
               Why do customers forget brands so                                                                  3. How long does it take to build brand
                         quickly?                                                                                 recall?
                Let’s be honest. Customers  are                                                                       There  is  no  fixed  timeline.  Re-
            overloaded.                                                                                           call develops through repeated and
                Every day, they see hundreds of                                                                   consistent exposure. Customers must
            ads, logos, offers, and messages. In   • They use safe, generic messaging  Try the 10 Second Brand Memory Test  repeatedly see the same identity,
            that noise, the brain filters aggressive-  • They try to appeal to everyone  Show your website, social media   promise, tone, and experience across
            ly. It only remembers what stands out   And in that process, they lose   profile, advertisement, product pack-  different touchpoints.
            or what connects emotionally.     identity.                         aging, or business card to someone   4. Can a small business become more
                If  your  brand  looks  like  a  copy,   Another insight from Hirav Shah:   who is not closely connected with your   memorable than a large competitor?
            sounds generic, or says what everyone   “When  your  brand  tries  to  speak  to   business. Allow them to see it for only   Absolutely. Small businesses can
            else is saying, it gets ignored within   everyone, it connects with no one.”  10 seconds. Then remove it and ask:  build stronger recall by serving a fo-
            seconds.                           Is your branding helping or hurting you?  • What does this business offer?  cused audience, communicating one
                As      Business      Strate-                                   • Who do you think it serves?     clear  benefit,  delivering  a  distinctive
                                                  Ask yourself:
            gist   Hirav    Shah    explains,   • Can someone describe my business   • What message or benefit do you re-  experience, and maintaining a consis-
            “In a crowded market, being better is   in one clear sentence?        member?                         tent personality.
            not enough. You have to be different   • Does my brand look and feel differ-  • What made it different from similar   Final Thought
            and clear.”                                                           brands?
                                                ent from competitors?                                             In today’s fast-moving world, attention
               What makes a brand unforgettable?  • Do people remember me after see-  • Can you recall its name, colour,   is short and memory is selective.
                                                                                  symbol, or tagline?
                It’s not just design. It’s not just   ing me once?                                                    Customers don’t give you time
                                                                                    Do not explain or guide their an-
            marketing. It’s clarity.              If the answer is unclear, your   swers. Their first response is the most   to explain. They give you seconds to
                A strong brand answers three   branding is not working.                                           register.
            things instantly:                     And this is not a design problem.   valuable feedback.              So, the real question is not —
                                                                                    If  they remember the design
            1. What do you do?                It is a strategy problem.         but not the business, your branding   Are people seeing your  brand?
            2. Who is it for?                          How do you fix this?     may be attractive but unclear. If they   The real question is — Are they re-
            3. Why should I care?             Start with positioning, not promotion.  understand the  product  but cannot   membering it?
            If  a  customer  cannot  understand  this   • Define your niche clearly  explain why it is different, your posi-  Because if they forget you in 10 sec-
            within a few seconds, they move on.  • Focus on one strong message  tioning needs improvement. If they   onds, your branding has already failed.
                Think  about  it.  The  brands  you
            remember are not complicated. They   • Build consistency across all plat-  remember  nothing  specific,  your   Hirav Shah is the Global Business
                                                                                brand lacks a strong memory trigger.
                                                forms
            are simple, sharp, and consistent.                                                                     Strategist, Game Changer, and Author
                                              • Create emotional connection, not    A memory trigger could be a dis-
              Where do most businesses go wrong?  just visibility               tinctive promise, colour combination,   of 19+ books—trusted worldwide for
                They  focus  on  looking  “profes-  Because branding is not about   tagline, visual style, customer experi-  validating big decisions of entrepre-
            sional” instead of being “memorable.”  being seen once. It is about being re-  ence, founder story, or unique way of   neurs, sportsmen, and entertainers.
            • They copy competitors           membered.                         communicating.                      Email : Business@hiravshah.com

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