Latest / Marketing Psychology with Fexingo: Behavioral Triggers, Persuasion, and Consumer Behavior / How Mere Exposure Makes You Like Ads More Each Time
Transcript
- Lucas: You know that feeling when a song you barely noticed on the first listen gradually becomes your favorite after the tenth replay? That's not just music taste—it's a cognitive bias called the mere-exposure effect, and it's one of the most reliable forces in marketing. Luna: Mere-exposure—so, the more you see something, the more you like it, even if you aren't paying close attention? Lucas: Exactly. The psychologist Robert Zajonc demonstrated this back in 1968. He showed participants a series of Chinese characters—like, fake ones, nonsense shapes—some they saw once, others up to twenty-five times. And the more times they'd seen a character, the more positively they rated it, even though they had no idea which ones they'd seen before. Luna: So it's completely unconscious. That's wild—I can think of a dozen brands I probably like just because their logo is everywhere. Lucas: Right. And marketers lean into this hard. Coke, McDonald's, Amazon—their ad frequency isn't accidental. The same thirty-second spot running three times during a game isn't just about reach; it's about building that subconscious familiarity. Luna: But isn't there a point where seeing the same ad too many times makes you hate it? I've definitely felt that with certain Super Bowl spots. Lucas: Absolutely—that's called advertising wearout. The mere-exposure effect follows an inverted U curve. Liking increases with exposure, but only up to a point. After that, you get irritation, especially if the ad is annoying or the message is too repetitive without variation. Luna: That's why we see those 'frequency capping' settings in ad platforms. It's trying to hit the sweet spot before the turn. Lucas: Exactly. And there's a tension here: too little exposure and the effect doesn't take hold; too much and you breed resentment. The optimal frequency depends on the medium, the audience, and the ad itself. Luna: Let's take a quick honest break—a handful of listeners chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that's literally what funds making this many episodes happen. Lucas: Yeah, we keep the show ad-free because of that small group. It's not a big ask—just mentioning that if these conversations have sparked something you've actually used, that link is there. Luna: Right. And we're back to the topic—so how do brands actually apply the mere-exposure effect without crossing into annoyance? Lucas: One classic example is retargeting ads. You visit a website, leave without buying, and then that brand's banner follows you around the web. The first time you see it, maybe you're annoyed. But by the fifth or sixth impression, you start to feel familiar with them, and that can nudge you toward a click. Luna: But there's also a risk—if the retargeting is too aggressive, you might associate the brand with the creepy feeling of being watched. Lucas: Exactly. That's why smart marketers vary the creative—change the image, the headline, the color—so you get repeated exposure without the same exact stimulus. The familiarity builds, but you don't experience wearout as fast. Luna: So the key is repeated, but not identical. That's what streaming services do with show trailers—you see clips from 'The Bear' in different contexts, different lengths, but always that same warm tone. Lucas: Good example. Another area is product placement. If a character in a TV show drinks a specific brand of soda, you might not register it consciously. But by the third episode where that same can appears on the counter, you start to feel more positive about it. Luna: Does the mere-exposure effect work with digital ads that people actively skip? Like pre-roll ads on YouTube with the 'skip in five seconds'? Lucas: Surprisingly yes. Even a five-second exposure—before you hit skip—can increase familiarity. Zajonc's original work showed that exposure times as short as a few milliseconds were enough to shift preference. So that half-second glance at the brand logo before you skip is doing something. Luna: That's actually a little unsettling—knowing my brain is being influenced even when I think I'm ignoring the ad. Lucas: It is, but it's also why we have to be conscious about frequency limits and ad variety. The best marketing uses mere-exposure as a foundation, not a crutch—paired with real value, storytelling, differentiation. Luna: So the lesson for marketers is: don't underestimate the power of just showing up. But also don't overdo it. Find that sweet spot. Lucas: Right. And for consumers, it's a reminder to ask yourself: do I actually like this brand, or have I just seen it a hundred times? The answer might be more about exposure than preference. Luna: I think we can all use that lens next time we're scrolling and feel a sudden fondness for a brand we barely know. Lucas: And that's the takeaway. Thanks for tuning in to Marketing Psychology with Fexingo.