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Why repetition pays (0)

 

Familiarity doesn’t always breed contempt. In advertising, familiarity leads to revenue and an increased ROI. Research has long shown that a series of adverts in the same publication is far more cost-effective and successful than spreading your adverts across multiple publications, gaining a wider audience but losing the benefits of familiarity.

As early as 1885, Thomas Smith’s guide ‘Effective Advertising’ described how prolonged exposure to a single advert is more likely to result in the message getting across. As Smith put it, “The first time people look at any given ad, they don't even see it.” Marketing consultant Michele Neylon agrees, arguing, “Don't expect your first ad to have a huge impact.” But if a one-shot advert is likely to miss the target, why would a series of ads fare any better? In short, why does repetition pay?

Advertising repetition promotes brand familiarity. As every schoolteacher knows, repetition is the key to learning. And advertising repetition can fix your message in the minds of your customers in exactly the same way that chanting spellings or times tables fixes those lessons in the minds of school pupils. The more often your potential customer sees your message, the more familiar they become with your product, services or brand, and therefore the more likely they are to make a buying decision in your favour. As the popular cliché goes, ‘repetition breeds recognition.’

Advertising repetition is often a cue to quality. Studies have shown that customers associate regular advertising with high standards, making the (frequently subconscious) assumption that regular advertising shows confidence in the product on the part of the advertiser.

As Amna Kirmani from the Journal of Advertising put it, “repetition may assure consumers that the manufacturer believes in the product, is willing to stand by it, and plans to be in the market for a long time. Consumers may make inferences about the credibility of an unfamiliar manufacturer from the amount of repetition.”

The pendulum can swing too far in this respect – your advertising campaign must not reek of desperation. However, a solid series of ads will do much to create a psychological association between your products and quality.

Advertising repetition is vital during that all-important launch or relaunch. Studies have shown media advertising is more effective when introducing new brands, or announcing modifications to existing products or services. Opinions on products which haven’t been around for very long are more subject to change through advertising, as there hasn’t been time to establish a judgment based on experience or word of mouth.

That’s not to say a series of ads for an existing product is a waste – far from it. Rather, advertising repetition is vital during a launch or rebranding.

Advertising repetition is cost-effective. With trading conditions worsening and a recession on the way, you’re probably keen to make your money go as far as possible. Buying most things in bulk is significantly cheaper per unit than single purchases, and advertising is certainly no exception to this rule. Check the rate card, and see what sort of a deal the ad sales team can offer you on a series of bookings. And remember, rate cards are negotiable. Don’t be afraid to make an offer that falls short of the stated price.

Advertising repetition increases product credibility, the trust and consumer confidence that can only be built up over time. Whose advice are you more likely to take, someone you’ve known for years or a person you’ve just met? Exactly. Repeated advertising cements exactly this sort of familiar credibility between your customers and your product. After all, when buying a new product you’ve never invested in before, you might well opt for the brands you know over the ones with which you’re unfamiliar. Well, how did you get to know them?

And finally, advertising repetition strengthens your association with the media that’s carrying the adverts. If you’ve planned well, having your product linked with the media in question and therefore sharing its credibility through association can only be a good thing. That’s why media which win prestigious awards enjoy a resultant boost in advertising – people like to be associated with success.

A perceived association with the media that carries your advertising is especially useful when a connection to the local area is involved. For example, when your correspondent wanted to fit loft stairs, his first – and only – port of call was the local paper where he knew a local company offering this service regularly advertised. Had this advert not appeared on such a regular basis, the sale could well have been lost.

A word of caution. Advertising repetition is not a magic wand. It won’t save a poor product, for example, or rescue a badly-targeted campaign. But wisely used, it should form an essential part of your overall advertising strategy.

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