When Advertising Wears Out

One of the challenges facing marketers is determining the most effective level of advertising exposure for a brand, while maintaining a given budget. Conceptually, the media planner could choose continuous advertising (even exposures spread over a period of time) or follow a strategy of pulsing ("on" for some months and "off" for others). The decision is important because the wrong one will considerably affect customer response. When advertisements are run at a low frequency (very few times), they run a risk of going unnoticed. The first time customers view an advertisement, a majority of the time, the message doesn't even process in their minds. On the other hand, when an advertisement is run at a high frequency, advertising wearout may occur. Therefore, the task at hand is finding just the right frequency for a positive response.

Overly repetitive messages typically have a negative effect on customer attitudes as they relate to a brand. Advertising wearout occurs when, at some level of repetition, the customer's affective response is either no longer positive or shows a significant decline. Advertising wearout is the result of excessive frequency causing viewers to perceive there's nothing new to be gained from processing the advertisement, thereby withdrawing attention. That's assuming all possible customers view every exposure, which is unrealistic. Not every customer will see every rotation. That's why it becomes difficult to find the optimal level of exposure. Media planners must remember that not every rotation is seen by all customers.

Wearout can also be a hazard, causing negative customer attitudes. Aggressively communicating with your customers doesn't always lead to poor or deteriorating relationships. But unless media's carefully planned and executed, it may ruin the opportunity to build long-term customer equity. So, the question is "How do marketers solve the puzzle of how frequently to expose their advertisements?" First, we have to address the issue of wearout. To avoid wearout, marketers frequently develop and rotate a pool of advertisements that employ different executions but convey the same basic message and claims. These executions typically share a number of common features, such as brand name, logo, tag line and general layout, while other features such as headline, copy and graphic elements are varied. The logic is that by introducing ample variations in advertising executions, the onset of wearout will be delayed. At the same time, the continued use of certain features of the advertisement across executions establishes consistency and presumably builds brand recognition or equity.

To understand why wearout occurs, scientists studied the brain to understand cognitive thinking and responses to these situations. They found the brain tends to ignore an object or theme that's repeated too many times. Essentially, most communication works by triggering memories. Old images or concepts are associated with something in the advertisement, recognizing elements as familiar. In the process, something new may be introduced and the brain links it with the old. When something new or unknown to a customer is presented to the brain for processing it evaluates: a) whether it is new and b) whether it corresponds to prior experience, knowledge and beliefs. The familiar portion of the advertisement is treated more casually. The brain recognizes it and spends less time evaluating its validity. It's interpreted as given. To that end, marketers should change portions of advertisements to keep customers interested.

Of course, when considering advertising wearout, we must consider that each situation, product, market, and many other characteristics are always variable factors that can't be conformed to an "advertising mold." Each situation must be dealt with differently. Radio, television and print media wearout at different levels; print media tends to wearout more quickly than more entertaining forms of media such as television. For example, which would you rather do, watch a commercial over and over, or read an article over and over? Obviously the stimulation that occurs with entertaining commercials will bring customers back more easily than a newspaper or magazine article.

The best way for marketers to fend off wearout is to rotate variations in theme with different executions of the same message strategy.

Regarding low frequencies, the question remains, "What isn't enough?" That's also dependent on the situation, but budget allowing, multiple exposures are more effective than one or a few. Media schedules are based on budgets and demographics. When selling products to the elderly, a low frequency will generally suffice. As for teens, the higher the frequency the better. Business-to-business typically requires higher frequency, as well. Simply put, the shorter the attention span of the customer, the more exposures necessary to break through.

There's no finite answer to the question of advertising wearout. The most important variables in deciding the optimal frequency are an understanding of the customer, rotating different advertisements, and keeping the customer's attention. There are rewards in reminding the consumer about the attributes of a brand. Reinforcement and refreshment of existing attribute, without wearing out the message, is a primary goal of advertising.

Mark Levit is managing partner of Partners & Levit Advertising New York and a professor of marketing at New York University. For more information visit or call
212-696-1200.

---

Take Your Radio Ads to the Next Level

Most small businesses do not have a high powered advertising... Read More

Why People Fail in Mail Order

Mail order is a very complicated business. Every phase must... Read More

How To Write Super-Effective Ads and Sales Letters!

"The more things change, the more they stay the same".... Read More

What Happened? Troubleshooting Poor Response from Ad Campaigns

Too many small business owners today run ad campaigns that... Read More

Custom LED Display

Custom LED Display, as the name specifies, facilitate control anything... Read More

Advertise Where Its Forbidden To

The most common way to drive people to your business... Read More

Why Not Use the Humble Fax in Your Advertising Strategy?

When my daughter complained recently about the prohibitive cost of... Read More

9 Tips for Better Billboards

It is a given that billboard advertising "outdoor" is not... Read More

Finding Your Target Market

Achieving sales is probably the biggest challenge a web business... Read More

Why Your Ads Aren?t Working

The president of a manufacturing company recently asked me, "Why... Read More

How To Track Your Advertising Like A Hawk

Tired of pouring endless money into advertising? Do you wonder... Read More

Constructing Business Advertisements

What many may consider the most important part of advertising... Read More

Electronic Display Signs

Electronic display signs are used nowadays in great extent to... Read More

Buying Radio? Read This and Dont Waste Your Money

Pay close attention and make it work the best for... Read More

Why Your Ad Failed

So you spent good money on an ad, put it... Read More

Create Your Own Business Cards, Part 1

In this lesson, we will create a business card, using... Read More

A Lesson In Advertising From The Eighteenth Century

Back in the 1760s, the great Dr Samuel Johnson delivered... Read More

Go Ahead Im Listening

In today's fast paced environment, interaction with family and friends... Read More

Moving message Sign

Moving Message Signs are a unique, attention-grabbing way to communicate... Read More

The Online Equivalent of an Effective Newspaper Advertisement is FREE

Ask anybody who has been in business for a long... Read More

How To Write More Powerful Brochures, Leaflets, And Catalogues

Probably the most interesting thing about brochures and leaflets is... Read More

Wheres Me Pot of Gold and Lucky Charms?

We already know this from our history books. If you... Read More

Advertising Agency In Boston: Tips and Tricks

The big news on Wall Street last year was the... Read More

Marketing Advertising, While Advertising Your Market!

Today in the Business world whether online or off, it... Read More

Marketing Lessons I Learned in Chicago this Week...

I was in the fine city of Chicago this week... Read More