From Familiar to Memorable: 2 Biases That Make Your Brand Stick
- Pei Yen Hew
- Sep 24
- 3 min read
Repetition is a powerful tool in shaping memory and decision-making. When people encounter the same message or information multiple times, it becomes more familiar and easier to recall. This effect often lays the foundation for recall bias, where repeated exposure influences what we remember and how we judge it.
Key Takeaways:
Repetition Bias: The more often people see or hear your message, the more believable it feels.
Recall Bias: People remember standout moments, not every detail, so make your message simple and sticky.
To begin, let’s first explore REPETITION BIAS.
Repetition Bias
Also known as the Illusory Truth Effect, it's the idea that familiarity builds credibility. In other words, the more often something is repeated, the more believable it feels, even when false.
The result? People were more likely to rate repeated statements as true, regardless of their actual accuracy. Simply hearing them more often made them feel more credible. Interesting…
Repeat Key Messages Across Channels
Repetition across multiple channels reinforces brand coherence. When people encounter the same message in multiple contexts, it feels more familiar and trustworthy.
Glossier built its makeup brand by repeating the message: “Skin first. Makeup second.” |
Glossier’s marketing has never been about hard sells. Instead, it leans into a lifestyle, one that emphasises confidence. That phrase showed up everywhere, across ads, Instagram posts, product descriptions, founder interviews, and even tucked into packaging inserts. It paints a clear picture of the promise: a skincare brand genuinely invested in your skin’s wellbeing.
Repeat The Problem They Care About
People won’t buy into your solution right away; they need to feel that you truly understand what they’re going through. That’s where repetition comes in. When you address the pain point in different ways, it shows that you know, makes it stick in their minds, and even adds a little urgency to fixing it.
Big brands effectively amplify pain points by repeating them strategically. Apple, for instance, leans into the frustration people feel with poor-quality phone photos, and consistently shows how the iPhone solves it with its superior camera performance. Nike, on the other hand, built a global movement around the idea of overcoming procrastination with its iconic “Just Do It” slogan, a phrase designed to stick in people's minds.
Recall Bias
Why do we trust memories more than facts? When we recall a memory, it’s not a flawless photograph. It’s pieced together, influenced by feelings, language, and the situation around it. So we’re not just remembering things, but our perception of things! That’s what we call Recall Bias. And in marketing, this quirk of memory can be turned into an advantage to drive more sales. Let’s dive in.
Use Wording To Trigger False Recall
Some words leave a deeper emotional mark, leading us to picture experiences as more intense, or less than they really were. That’s why marketers lean on bold, vivid language: it doesn’t just explain a product, it shapes how people recall it later. This effect is even stronger with repeat buys, for instance, Glow Fairy, a skincare brand claiming it “erases wrinkles”, will feel far more powerful in memory than one that merely “reduces fine lines.”
Dive Into Nolstagia
Coca-Cola leans into nostalgia through evergreen holiday imagery, bringing back vintage glass bottles, festive jingles, and whimsical ads featuring Santa or the polar bears, all designed to evoke cosy memories of childhood.
Meanwhile, Nintendo taps into fond retro feelings by reviving its classic consoles, like the NES Classic Edition, and beloved game characters, giving both gamers and newcomers a nostalgic bridge between past and present. These strategies illustrate how nostalgia can be a powerful emotional connector in marketing.
In conclusion, audiences want more than words. Know them, go deeper, and craft a message they’ll never forget.
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