Marketing to the Memory: Frequency

If you listen to the radio in your car, you probably remember some of the commercials that have run in the last few days. They probably weren't terribly clever, but you remember them because you've heard them over and over. Frequency is one of the keys to memory.

In my town, we have a jewelry shop advertises aggressively. Everyone is familiar with their commercials. At the end of each spot, the owner says, "Now you have a friend in the diamond business, The Shane Company, located at the corner of 7200 South and State. Open Monday through Friday 'til 8:00, Saturday 'til 5:00, closed Sunday." That spot runs so frequently that it has become sort of a joke. I've heard high school kids quoting the hours of operation from memory. I heard a radio DJ finish the ad himself. I've even heard someone prank phone call a radio station and explain that he used to feel like a loser, until he found out he had "a friend in the diamond business." The frequent repetition has rooted the message deep in our memories.

The average customer needs to be exposed to a brand 3 times before it even registers in the brain. But, it usually takes 7 impressions before a person does business with a company. That's one of the major benefits of newsletters. They serve as a frequent reminder that your business exists.

Making multiple impressions through multiple media can have a strong impact. Consider a radio spot, followed up by coupons in the mail. It carries a longer lasting message than radio or coupons alone. This technique works best when the message is consistent from one medium to another, but the approach is tailored to the medium.

Why is it that you can sketch the McDonalds logo from memory, yet you sometimes forget where you parked the car? The answer is frequency. Frequency leaves a long-lasting impression on the mind. Find a way to make frequent contact with your potential customers, and you'll find a way into their memory.

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