Takeaway

People tend to prefer things they’ve seen before; repeated, non-annoying exposure increases liking up to saturation.

The problem (before → after)

  • Before: Marketing relies on one-shot persuasion.
  • After: Plan consistent, lightweight touchpoints to build familiarity and trust.

Mental model first

Like a song that grows on you after a few plays; exposure reduces uncertainty and processing effort, which feels good.

Just-in-time concepts

  • Fluency: ease of processing drives preference.
  • Saturation: overexposure backfires (wear-out).
  • Spacing effects improve memory and liking.

First-pass solution

Schedule spaced, varied creatives across channels; measure incremental lift; cap frequency to avoid wear-out.

Iterative refinement

  1. Personalize pacing; avoid ad fatigue.
  2. Use consistent brand cues.
  3. Combine with social proof and value messaging.

Principles, not prescriptions

  • Familiarity breeds comfort; respect user attention.

Common pitfalls

  • Annoyance from high frequency; context mismatch.

Connections and contrasts

  • See also: [/blog/paradox-of-choice], [/blog/aesthetic-usability-effect].

Quick checks

  1. Why does exposure help? — Fluency and reduced uncertainty.
  2. When does it stop helping? — At wear-out; monitor frequency.
  3. What to measure? — Lift vs frequency; brand recall.

Further reading

  • Zajonc (1968) and follow-ups