Maxime Baron
May 14, 2025
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When launching a product in the crypto market, our clients often rush to ask: Should we prioritize awareness or acquisition? The truth is, this is a false choice. Awareness and acquisition are not parallel strategies but successive stages of the same funnel. One builds recognition, the other drives conversion. Misunderstanding this sequence is one of the most common mistakes we see in crypto marketing.
Awareness campaigns plant the seeds of reputation, creating the sense that “this project is everywhere.” Acquisition campaigns harvest that attention, transforming it into users, downloads, and on-chain activity. Without awareness, acquisition falls flat. Without acquisition, awareness fades into vanity metrics.
So let’s break down the difference, why they matter, and how to align them for sustainable growth in crypto.
In campaigns we’ve supported at Hash Consulting, one pattern keeps repeating: clients often overestimate the direct impact of awareness, expecting it to translate immediately into users. On the flip side, others want to launch acquisition campaigns without having built any prior mindshare.
Both approaches miss the point. Awareness and acquisition are sequential, and their success depends on how well they connect. Projects that master this balance not only attract attention but also convert it into long-term adoption.
Let’s start with awareness. The purpose isn’t immediate conversion: it’s building presence. The key success factor is choosing the right communication partners and activations. If your ICP is DeFi-native, you need DeFi-respected voices. If your target is degen users, you’ll need the media and KOLs that degens, users and traders already trust (and, spoiler, they are rare).
Here, KPIs are about reach: video views, impressions, readership. But what matters most is perception. You want users to subconsciously think: “They’re everywhere.” And then, almost inevitably, curiosity kicks in: “Wait, what are they actually building?” That’s when awareness begins to morph into intent.
Acquisition, on the other hand, is a different beast. Its strength lies in leveraging the trust built during awareness, then adding incentives and strong CTAs to trigger action. The KPIs now shift toward sign-ups, wallet creations, downloads, or deposits. The partners also shift: while media can help, it’s often KOLs who drive conversions thanks to the parasocial effect. People trust recommendations from the voices they follow, almost like hearing advice from a friend.
Here’s where many projects fail: they treat awareness and acquisition as disconnected boxes to tick rather than as a single funnel. They’ll run a flashy awareness campaign, then follow with an acquisition push that feels misaligned. Or worse, they’ll launch acquisition without a proper awareness foundation and wonder why conversion rates are low.
But in crypto, where ten similar projects compete for the same attention, you can’t afford sloppy funnels. Every step matters. From the first awareness touchpoint (“I’ve seen this project everywhere”) to the final acquisition click (“I’m adding funds to this dApp”), the journey must feel seamless.
That means:
Done well, awareness and acquisition don’t just complement each other; they amplify. Awareness drives curiosity. Acquisition captures it. Together, they build momentum.
Awareness and acquisition are not competing strategies: they are sequential gears of the same engine. Awareness lays the groundwork, embedding your brand into the consciousness of your target market. Acquisition then activates that curiosity, converting attention into tangible growth through trust, incentives, and flawless funnels.
In crypto, where attention is fleeting and alternatives are endless, the real differentiator is not just visibility or conversion alone, but the orchestration of both. At Hash Consulting, we design campaigns that move users step by step -> from “I’ve seen them everywhere” to “I trust them enough to join.”
So the real question is: how strong is the bridge you’re building between being noticed and being chosen?
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