THE THEORY of EFFECTIVE FREQUENCY: “Consumers need to hear/see things 3 to 5 times for it to affect a behavior change”
-- Krugman, Naples, et al.

I once worked for a company that believed that all it had to do was find the one magic marketing bullet -- be it one direct mail piece, one radio ad, one print ad in an airline magazine –- and the sales would blanket the company like snow in a New England January. Unfortunately this didn’t work.

It never works, especially for a lesser-known brand, a new brand, or a brand in a highly competitive market. Think about it – would you ever make a purchase after hearing about a brand ONCE?

In reality, you need multiple exposures to build trust and credibility about the brand. You’ve got to get your brand in front of potential customers multiple times, so they get to know you, to trust you, to feel an emotional connection with you. Then, they'll buy.

Maybe it’s 3 times. Maybe it’s 5 times. Maybe it’s 20 times as London marketer, Thomas Smith, believed back in 1885:

1.The first time people look at any given ad, they don't even see it.

2. The second time, they don't notice it.

3. The third time, they are aware that it is there.

4. The fourth time, they have a fleeting sense that they've seen it somewhere before.

5. The fifth time, they actually read the ad.

6. The sixth time they thumb their nose at it.

7. The seventh time, they start to get a little irritated with it.

8. The eighth time, they start to think, "Here's that confounded ad again."

9. The ninth time, they start to wonder if they're missing out on something.

10. The tenth time, they ask their friends and neighbors if they've tried it.

11. The eleventh time, they wonder how the company is paying for all these ads.

12. The twelfth time, they start to think that it must be a good product.

13. The thirteenth time, they start to feel the product has value.

14. The fourteenth time, they start to remember wanting a product exactly like this for a long time.

15. The fifteenth time, they start to yearn for it because they can't afford to buy it.

16.The sixteenth time, they accept the fact that they will buy it sometime in the future.

17. The seventeenth time, they make a note to buy the product.

18. The eighteenth time, they curse their poverty for not allowing them to buy this terrific product.

19. The nineteenth time, they count their money very carefully.

20. The twentieth time prospects see the ad, they buy what is offering.