Does Repeated Exposure To Ads Actually Work?

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The more times somebody sees an advert, the more effective it is. That seems like it’s pretty obvious and most people would agree. Although, if you see something enough, doesn’t it become annoying? That would have the opposite effect and make you hate whatever product is being advertised rather than buying it, wouldn’t it? You’d think so, but it isn’t quite as simple as that. The repetition method as it’s usually known has been proven to be effective, but how does it work?

Cues

When something is repeated, we develop cues that remind us of it. That’s why you get advertising materials like bottle openers and printed CD calendars. When you use a calendar, for example, you’re likely to be doing something productive whether it’s working or paying off some bills, or maybe planning a trip. You’ll feel good about those things, and that good feeling will be directly associated with the logo and the branding that is on the calendar. The same concept is at work when people use a bottle opener, they associate the company with the feeling of drinking a beer. The more this happens, the stronger those cues become and the more people come to associate your company with good things.

Patterns

Our brains are designed to recognize and remember patterns, and it rewards us when we do. It was a helpful skill as we evolved and it is one of the main ways that our brain learns things. When something is repeated over and over, that’s a pattern. Your brain will pick up on it and retain it. Patterns or potential sequences grab and hold our attention better so if somebody has seen an advert before, they’re more likely to look at it again.

Familiarity

People often think that overexposure leads to a negative perception of something. That is true sometimes but more often than not, it has the opposite effect. Familiarity is generally considered a positive thing and people respond well to it. Brand names are one clear example of this. If you’re buying a product for the very first time, you’ll be more likely to pick whichever brand you’ve seen most often.

Memory

There was a reason that you repeated your times tables over and over in school, it helps you remember things. Repeated exposure to something builds stronger memories of something. If you’ve only seen an ad once you won’t think of it again, but ones that you’ve seen countless times will stick. You don’t even have to like them to remember them, that incredibly annoying Go Compare advert frustrates me so much but it doesn’t matter. If you ask me where to compare car insurance it’s the first thing I think of. It’s also a great way of promoting services because it will stay in people’s mind until they need those services and you’ll be the first person they think of.

Nagging

Negative repetition is often just as effective as positive. Think of kids nagging their parents over and over until they eventually give in to whatever they want. Adverts can work in a similar way. If you’ve seen something so much that it starts to annoy you, you might just start coming round to the idea of buying it.

It’s not great news for customers but companies are going to carry on annoying you with the same ads over and over because it works.