Repetition creates comfort and familiarity. We like things we know are safe, even high adrenaline sports are only fun because of the harness. And familiarity breeds trust. Not that they are one and the same, but they are linked. If we are exposed to something on repeat that also provides positive results we’ll start to believe that that is the standard it always provides. Trust is built on continual favourable outcomes.
Unfamiliar things can’t be trustworthy, we just don’t know enough about them to make that judgement yet.
The Mere Exposure effect suggests the more we view something, the better we view its allure. Literally everything in life can get better the more we see it.
Everything tends to become more attractive the more we’re exposed to it. Think about that song you hated when it first came on the radio. Only to start singing it, without any irony, at every opportunity. And it’s not only that, seeing a product over and over could increase how we perceive its value as well. “Consumers are posited to associate high product quality with high levels of repetition because they see repetition as costly and think higher costs reflect the manufacturer's commitment to the product.”
On top of that, it keeps a brand in mind. When you study for a test all you’re doing is repeating information until it’s all stored in your head. That’s all a brand’s doing when it keeps putting itself in your line of sight. The more you see it, the higher chance you remember it. And if you’re thinking about the brand when it’s not around, when it’s convenient for you to buy the product, you’re more likely to get it. I know it’s worked on me at least once. We live in a busy world, and a lot of decisions are, quite frankly, just tiresome. If you have a brand in mind when out, most will be lazy enough to just go for that one. Why waste precious brainpower?
But there is a caveat with repetition and you have to be careful how it is used. Two-factor theory suggests there’s a limit before repetition becomes counterproductive. “Message effectiveness is believed to increase at low levels of repetition and then to decrease as message repetition increases.”
Repetition can be irritating if used incorrectly. Having something repeated in quick succession can quickly become annoying. Repeating something, even if the words are rearranged, is unexciting. And a continual repetition teaches us nothing new and does not stimulate the brain. Having something repeated too often “leads to boredom and irritation”, causing people to lose interest.
But if used correctly, repetition can be powerful.
Repetition could generate higher brand awareness, higher brand awareness then generates more consideration, more consideration could then result in more conversions and more conversions produce more sales. See? That’s a little bit more digestible. With repetition, it’s a little bit more about how it is used. The frequency, the techniques, and the bits you’re repeating are important. Even in language.
Humans like familiarity, we trust familiarity, but we don’t like boredom. And repetition has to toe the line with both. An advert should be around enough for someone to notice it but not quite enough for them to notice their own awareness. Everyone knows once you notice something you suddenly feel like you’re seeing it everywhere. And if you’re convinced you’re watching an Ad on repeat you’ll probably gonna feel like pulling your hair out.
But if you don’t really notice the repetition, then the brand can slowly work its way into your mind, signalling to you that this is the best there is. This brand, it will make your life better. And then, before you know it, you’re reaching for that very product on your Saturday trip to the supermarket.
References
Kirmani, Amna. (2013). Advertising Repetition as a Signal of Quality: If It's Advertised So Much, Something Must Be Wrong. Journal of Advertising. 26. 77-86. 10.1080/00913367.1997.10673530. May 2013
Campbell, Margaret & Keller, Kevin. (2003). Brand Familiarity and Advertising Repetition Effects. Journal of Consumer Research. 30. 292-304. 10.1086/376800. February 2003
