The Mere Exposure Effect

The simple exposure effect states that constant exposure to a stimulus results in increased liking for or enjoyment of that stimulus. In other terms, it refers to a person being exposed to something constantly. The impact is stronger if the individual hasn’t already formed an unfavorable attitude toward the stimulus or if they aren’t aware that it’s being shown to them.

This condition has the following impact on people’s decisions: When individuals are faced with a choice, they frequently gravitate toward the person or circumstance to which they have had the most exposure. For instance, infants tend to smile more often when they smile back. The more you interact with someone, the more empathetic you find them to be, and the more you appreciate being with them. In their marketing strategies, businesses blatantly take advantage of the simple exposure effect. You could select a certain product because you are familiar with a logo, a motto, or a brand image.

When you first encounter something, you do not necessarily require a pleasant reaction. After further exposure, you could get fond of something even if your first impression is neutral. But if you don’t like something the first time, it’s doubtful that further exposure will make a difference in how you feel.

You don’t arrive at any conclusions at the first encounter. For instance, you won’t become a devoted fan of a band in a matter of days if you have never heard one of their songs before. Their tracks may sound unremarkable to you the first time.

You begin to like it after a few more interactions. Now, the band sounds better. You may even consider playing a song of your choosing from their collection.

You grow to like a band more after repeatedly listening to their music. By this point, you’ve heard the band’s music a few times. You make sure to listen to some of their tunes whenever you are listening to music.

However, as your exposure increases, you won’t always adore everything. The frequency and duration of your encounters with something determine how much you enjoy it.

For instance, if you hear a piece of music for the first time today and again in a few days, you will likely appreciate it. If you had to hear the same music ten times in one day, you would grow to detest it.

They would consume the fruit they had previously seen if there were two fruits present. They would pick the cave they had previously visited if given the choice between the two for a place to sleep. The individuals who chose the comfortable alternative had a better chance of surviving. The race that made the predictable choice throughout the years was the one that endured.

Family references in advertisements

Since the Industrial Revolution, using family has been a popular marketing strategy. Brands, especially those that appeal to broader audiences have unique target markets. Families are a common theme in brand commercials to appeal to a variety of consumers. The idea of family is understood by the majority of people in the world. Families are a powerful way to rapidly familiarise a business with the audience.

Since families are the most universal theme in commercials, they will continue to be utilized often. The familiarity and closeness with the advertisement will lead to increased brand recognition.

Ads on billboards and pamphlets

Billboards and pamphlets are currently considered to be ineffective marketing tools for businesses. But major brands still use brochures and billboards to promote their goods.

The goal of billboard advertising is to quickly grab someone’s attention and leave them with a lasting impression so that they continue to think about the message even after they drive past it. They must be easily readable because they are typically read while being passed quickly. Because of this, there are typically simply a few words in enormous letter sizes and a funny or eye-catching visual.

Brands want to draw customers in and establish a connection with their products. Therefore, the consumer will select the item they are most comfortable with while they are grocery shopping.

Creating brand logos and advertisements by utilizing color psychology

Companies may influence consumer impressions of their brand by design, style, and color, but they can’t control how consumers feel about it. The way a logo is presented may have a big impact on how successful it is since our brains are designed to learn and remember new shapes.

When creating brand logos and commercials, businesses employ color psychology to grab the attention of consumers and cement the brand in their minds. Customers will be more inclined to buy their goods while making choices at the store after being familiar with the brand.

Making advertisements using popular music

The mere exposure effect is utilized in marketing strategies again and again through the usage of popular music. Brands use recognizable imagery in their commercials while selling, especially a new product. To introduce people to a brand or product in some way, popular music is frequently used in marketing campaigns. Brands continue to adopt this marketing technique although music licenses may be expensive, particularly with top songs.

The mere exposure effect shows that familiarity with the brand is important in influencing consumer choices. It’s not required for the product to provide favorable results. As a result, offering the goods to the consumer will improve the likelihood that they will buy them.

The landing page is the page that receives the most clicks on an e-commerce website. So it’s important what items are shown on the landing page. The best-selling items are the least dangerous to include, but with the right strategy, the item that the seller wishes to sell the most may also be included on the landing page. Customers will grow more familiar with the item as a result of being exposed to it from the very beginning and the seller’s desire to display it.

Push notifications and banners

An excellent technique to introduce buyers to certain items is through push notifications and advertising. There is a strong likelihood that the consumer will purchase the product even if they do not need it or have any intentions to do so, particularly if it is personalized to their tastes.

In a study, the simple exposure impact was evaluated using banner ads on computer screens. On a computer screen with banner advertisements flashing across the top, college students were expected to read an article. According to the results, every group that saw the “test” banner gave it a better rating compared to the other advertising that was shown seldom or never.

Product pinning in the search

The search function is regularly used by customers to locate a certain product. Customers frequently go straight to the search bar when accessing an eCommerce website. Utilizing Segmentify, you can use this behavior pattern to your advantage by pinning products to the search results page. To introduce particular items to your clients, Segmentify personalized search enables you to pin products using a rule-based procedure.

Increasing popularity on social media

Brands are increasingly using social media as a tool for digital marketing. Brands may use social media to reach new consumers as well as build their brand recognition. Most social networking apps include “discover more pages” where users may view posts from various accounts using algorithms that are tailored to the users’ preferences. Website traffic is better for brands with active social media accounts. Even without visiting the website, customers are exposed to their offerings. And ultimately, people get to know the company and its goods, so they’ll buy them when the time comes. Social media advertising is another strategy for leveraging social media that enables communication with the appropriate audience. The product will still be something the buyer is acquainted with even if they choose not to click the advertisement.

It can be seen that there is the highest rating that the mean like score and the number of exposures may achieve. Therefore, increasing the exposures will raise the like score to a certain degree; it is crucial not to go over this.

As a result, one of the most important psychological influences on human decision-making is the mere exposure effect. Utilizing and modifying this impact for your eCommerce business will boost sales and brand recognition.