The first time I heard the song “Shake It Off”, I was mildly irritated. Sorry, Taylor Swift. The first few times I heard it, I was annoyed at my step-daughters for playing it; by the 10th time it played on my Hits 1 XM station I was acceptant of it, causing me to hum it to myself, now secretly hoping it would play. The next few times I heard it, I was singing along, dancing when at home, and ultimately I purchased the song on iTunes. Of course, this was a few months ago; now I am over it.

I am not the only one that has experienced this phenomenon. In fact, it has a name, the Mere Exposure Effect, and it has been wildly studied by psychologists. It states that when people are repeatedly exposed to something, they will develop a preference to it over time. The more we are exposed to something, the more we tend to like it. In short, change makes us apprehensive, hence we gravitate towards what is familiar to us because it makes us feel comfortable.

Without this basic principle, advertising could be perceived as a waste of money. Why bother including a logo any chance given? The act of repetition is to gain trust from customers and build the necessary emotional connection and familiarity with a product. The sheer act of exposing prospects to the brand, makes it more likely that they will have positive feelings associated with it, thus generating a greater chance of converting them the prospect into customers.

This explains why consumers are attracted to one brand over another and why some consumers become brand advocates. That love is the result of constant exposure.

HOW DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THIS?

The Mere Exposure Effect requires more than one single advertising of a product , therefore multiple exposures are necessary to attribute the success to this familiarity principle . While the initial exposure to a digital ad might have started the chain reaction; it was the repeated presentation that generated the business. Once the customer has been exposed to your branded content several times, it will push that customer in favor of that brand. Each touch point builds on the next encounter and it strengthens the consumer’s opinion, leading him/her closer to making a purchase.

HOW DOES MARKETING HELP?

e can’t change basic human behavior for which the Mere Exposure Principle is based on, but we can help to get your brand the exposure it needs to gain the competitive advantage. Your brand exposure must be maintained or it won’t achieve the intended results.

Consistent exposure to your brand can lead even the most unlikely consumer into a brand advocate. It is like low-hanging fruit; all you have to do is keep your brand consistent and at the forefront.

If you are ready to strengthen your brand and gain a competitive advantage— let’s meet.

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