Lies, Darn Lies: The Science Behind Marketing's "Repeat Rule"

Any marketing or public relations professional will tell you that one key to developing an effective brand or image is a memorable tag line, which must be repeated as many as 7 or 8 times to stick in peoples' minds. That might cause a business owner to wonder if an investment in a communications budget is wise: "Are these spin doctors effective or are they the hucksters we all suspect?"

But Sam Wang and Sandra Aamodt dispel our misgivings in their op ed, "Your Brain Lies to You", which appears in today's issue of The New York Times. Authors of the recently released Welcome to Your Brain: Why You Lose Your Car Keys but Never Forget How to Drive and Other Puzzles of Everyday Life, they describe how easy it is to legitimize misinformation and questionable sources.

"Every time we recall [information], our brain writes it down again, and during this re-storage, it is also reprocessed," explain Wang and Aamodt. "As the source is forgotten, the message and its implications gain strength." Information -- both true and false -- is restored and remembered, but the context is eventually lost in the haze of time.

Think about some popular tag lines. "It's a good time for the great taste of..." "Have a --- and a smile." "When you absolutely, positively have to have it overnight." "Just say no to..." You can probably recall these phrases with no trouble, but don't remember where or when you originally learned them. And, there's a chance you'll mix up competitors products. You might even use a tag line all the time, but can't recall when it became a part of popular culture. For instance, "Can you hear me now?"

So, how can you make your message stick without getting stuck with a huge marketing bill? Here are a few tips:

Settle on a succinct, memorable tag line that embodies your business philosophy, distinctive characteristics, and product or service. And then, push it over and over.

List the ways you reach your target audience. How can you connect with them at least six times in six months to convey your message? A newsletter? Shopping bag? Article? Presentation? Is that tagline on all of your collateral?

Map out a strategic marketing plan that both supports your overall business plan and incorporates your message in meaningful ways. For example, jump drives are great giveaways for IT consultants, but not for garden centers. How about a small watering can or a trowel.

What? You don't know the products and services those tag lines promote? Send me a message and I'll lend you a hand. If you think you can stump me, post your favorite tag line below in the comments box and I'll respond with my best guess.

Gaea Honeycutt
blog@weirdingword.com

Weirding Word®, a division of G.L. Honeycutt Consulting, LLC, is a virtual publication department that provides editing, freelance writing, and publication and web design services.

Copyright 2008 Gaea L. Honeycutt. All rights reserved.

Comments

[Security Equipments]

It’s glad to see good information being convey. Its a very nice written, and i really like these blog. Thanks for the info.

[Web Design]

Incidentally, I like the way you have structured your site, it is super and very easy to follow. I have bookmarked you and will be back regularly. Thank you

[Term papers]

Thanks for the info I never knew about all this..!

[Gaea Honeycutt]

Oh, that was good. At first, I kept thinking about a food product and it was just out of reach on the edges of memory. Then I remembered that mournful horn that punctuated the slogan. Pepto-Bismol. It coats, soothes, relieves.

[Sarah]

I can't believe I ate the whole thing...

[Gaea Honeycutt]

Dan, thanks for recommending that somewhat disturbing book. It reminds me of my favorite geek read, Darrell Huff's How to Lie With Statistics (http://www.amazon.com/How-Lie-Statistics-Darrell-Huff/dp/0393310728/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214699789&sr=1-1) No comment on the mother-in-law... ;-)

And AHMartin, as I age, I'm discovering the same truth. If it doesn't rhyme or repeat, I'm sometimes in trouble.

Jamie, those are great and practical comments on direct mail. You definitely have to plan, budget and persist. Okay. Those tag lines were a bit easy. My favorite is "I want my ..." It's actually before my time though.

[Jamie Nicholas]

I have always heard, and I often tell my clients, it takes 9 times for someone to hear your message, see your logo, tag line, etc., before they remember it. I also remember the great and funny commercials shown during the superbowl...but I rerely remember who they are advertising! "Can you hear me now?" I know is Verizon Wireless, mostly because I really believe it's true, and why I switched from Sprint years ago. I also know have a Coke and a smile, FedEx, and Just say no to drugs, but I am having a little bit of trouble with the good time for the great taste of...Oh yes...McDonalds. : )
So remember, get your message out there often. When you do a direct mail campaign, you have to do it EVERY month, and you have to do it for more than 3 months or else you are just throwing your money away.

[AHMartin]

Hmmm and I thought the reason I forgot so much was age. I always wondered how I could remeber those songs I learned as a child but have such a difficult time remembering now - repetition is the key. I thin I may need 10 - 15 times now.

[Dan Katz]

Ah, this explains a lot about my mother-in-law :-)

See also Seth Godin's book, All Marketer's Are Liars - http://www.amazon.com/All-Marketers-Are-Liars-Authentic/dp/1591841003