Achieving both mental and physical availability is key for any brand looking to stand out. It’s not enough to just be memorable, and it’s not enough to be on the shelf. You need both to win—being top of mind when consumers are ready to buy and being easy to find when they make that decision. If you’re only focusing on one, you’re leaving sales on the table. Let’s break down why both are critical and how to strike that perfect balance.
Mental Availability: Being the First Thought
Mental availability is your brand’s ability to come to mind quickly when a customer is ready to make a purchase. According to Byron Sharp, a leading marketing expert, “Mental availability is about being easy to think of when a buying situation arises.” Think about the brands you instantly recall when you think about something as simple as toothpaste or shoes. That’s mental availability in action.
Getting to that point isn’t magic—it’s a combination of consistent, strategic marketing. It could be a well-designed ad campaign, engaging social media, or regular communication that keeps your brand relevant. Every time someone interacts with your brand, you’re planting the seed of familiarity. And when they’re ready to buy, that familiarity pays off.
Physical Availability: Being There When It Counts
Mental availability might get your brand into the conversation, but physical availability closes the deal. It’s the practical side of things—making sure your product is available when the customer is ready to make a purchase. As Sharp puts it, “Physical availability means being present in the market and easy to buy.” Whether it’s on the shelf in a store or easy to purchase online, if your product isn’t accessible, mental availability doesn’t matter.
Think about it—how many times have you gone to buy a specific product, only to settle for something else because it wasn’t available? Even if your brand is the first one a consumer remembers, if they can’t find it, you lose the sale. That’s why distribution, shelf placement, and online accessibility are just as important as the marketing that gets you remembered in the first place.
Why Both Matter
The real magic happens when mental and physical availability work together. They reinforce each other in a way that amplifies your brand’s presence. Sharp nails it when he says, “If a brand is easy to buy, it becomes easier to remember. If it’s easy to remember, it becomes easier to buy.”
You need that dual approach because consumers are bombarded with marketing messages all day, every day. Mental availability cuts through the noise, but without physical availability, all that work goes to waste. Focusing too much on one without the other means missing out on potential sales.
Steps to Achieve Both
So how do you balance the two? Start by making sure your brand stays relevant and recognizable. Invest in marketing that’s not just about being seen but about being remembered. Strong brand identity, engaging social media, and compelling ads that speak directly to your audience all play a role here.
On the physical side, make sure your product is easy to find—whether that’s on the shelf at your local retailer, on e-commerce platforms, or through your direct channels. Expand your distribution network, optimize your product placement, and think about new formats or packaging that might make your product even more accessible.
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, it’s not enough to focus solely on mental or physical availability. The two must work together if you want to stay top of mind and top of shelf. As Sharp emphasizes, “Brands must build their mental and physical availability by investing in their brand image, improving their packaging, and making their products easily available to their customers.” When you get that balance right, you’re not just remembered—you’re bought.