Standing at the Reflecting Pool in Washington DC, looking up at the Lincoln Memorial, four men in suits brushed past me.

One of them, walking a few steps ahead, moved quickly up the steps toward the plaza level.

I looked around. No one else had clocked him. But there he was: Arnold Schwarzenegger. One of the most recognisable movie stars on the planet, moving through the crowd. Unnoticed.

By the time he reached the chamber where Lincoln sits, a tourist called out “Terminator!” Phones flew up to take pictures, his minders closed in, and the moment of anonymity was gone.

But for a brief window, I stood just metres away, watching him undisturbed by the crowd doing whatever he came to do.

It was 2013, and this was the final stop of a US holiday. 

Schwarzenegger’s autobiography, Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story had come out in 2012. As it happened, I had been engrossed in the book from New York to Nashville. I had read it in planes, airports, hotel rooms, and cars.

Arnold had been in my head for weeks.

I didn’t notice him before anyone else because I’m a big fan or especially observant. I noticed him because I’d been primed. His story, his image, his voice — they’d been front of mind. And when he appeared in real life, I recognised him instantly.

That is exactly what smart marketing does.

Good marketing doesn’t just get you noticed: it builds familiarity. It keeps your brand, your voice, your story top of mind. So, when the moment comes, when someone needs what you offer, they see or think of you before anyone else.

Whether it’s a brand, a service, or a person, staying front of mind is how you get recognised in a crowd.

We probably can’t get you as famous as Schwarzenegger.

But we CAN help you keep in front of your target audience and in prime position.

Donna Lamont