In a world where distractions are everywhere, grabbing consumers’ attention feels like trying to catch lightning in a bottle. From scrolling through social media while watching TV to listening to the radio while driving, consumers are often distracted. This presents a unique challenge for advertisers: how can we connect with an audience immersed in multitasking? The answer, it turns out, lies in repetition.
The Power of Repetition
Ster’s research reveals that even in a distracted world, repetition can have a significant impact. While consumers may not always be focused on an advertisement, repeated exposure to the same commercial ensures that the brand’s message gradually “wears in” to their subconscious. This means that, over time, a consumer will recognise the brand, internalise its message, and form positive associations. The research shows that multiple exposures can even make distracted consumers more receptive to the commercial, leading to better brand recognition, enhanced brand image, and ultimately, increased purchase behaviour.
But how often should a brand repeat its advertisement for maximum effect? How many exposures are needed to turn casual listeners into loyal customers? And is there such a thing as too much repetition?
Ster’s neuro-research, conducted in partnership with Unravel Research, explored the impact of repeated TV and radio commercials on consumer behaviour. By tracking distracted participants over four weeks, the study provides a clear picture of how repetition influences brand recognition, message transfer, and purchase intentions.
he study shows that even the first exposure to an advertisement can have an impact. For example, both brands with low and moderate brand awareness saw increases in brand recognition after just one exposure. But this initial impact is only the beginning. For “wear-in” to occur—where the brand’s message truly resonates with consumers—multiple exposures are necessary.
The findings suggest that for brand recognition and message delivery, the minimum number of exposures needed to engage a distracted audience is around three to four. This is particularly true for radio, which, due to its simplicity and reliance on sound, attracts more mental attention than television. This means that radio can deliver brand recognition and message transfer more efficiently, even with a relatively low number of exposures.
The Impact on Brand Recognition
The effectiveness of repetition heavily relies on the type of media chosen. For campaigns focused on increasing brand recognition or conveying a clear message, radio is often the most effective medium. Radio’s ability to capture attention, even in a distracted environment, makes it uniquely powerful. Its reliance on sound allows brands to infiltrate the routines of consumers, ensuring the message sticks despite background noise or multitasking.
An ideal strategy may begin with TV to spark initial interest and create desire, followed by radio to sustain the momentum and reinforce the brand message. This approach ensures that the campaign resonates through multiple touchpoints, maximising the impact of repetition and increasing the likelihood of desired outcomes.
Repetition is a powerful tool in advertising, especially in a world where distracted consumers are the norm. While repetition is critical, it is crucial to strike the right balance. Research indicates that while there is no evidence of wear-out (a decrease in effectiveness), even after twelve exposures, the impact of repeated exposures can eventually stabilise. By ensuring that a commercial is seen or heard multiple times, advertisers can achieve greater brand recognition, stronger associations, and ultimately – higher sales. The key is to find the right balance: too few exposures can result in a lack of impact, while too many can lead to diminishing returns. With the right strategy, repetition can make all the difference in achieving advertising success. Download the Magic of Repetition whitepaper here.
egta members can view the presentation of the study at the 2025 Market Intelligence Meeting (MIM) here.
Source: egta.com
OTHER CASE STUDIES
UNBOXING THE FUTURE: TURNING SWEEPSTAKES INTO AN IMMERSIVE AR EXPERIENCE
11. 9. 2025In summer 2025, RTL AdAlliance in Austria reimagined the traditional sweepstakes by transforming it into an interactive Augmented Reality experience. Instead of waiting for a prize in a physical package sent to be to the winners, participants could place a virtual gift box in their own living room via smartphone and unbox it themselves. What… Continue reading THE MAGIC OF REPETITION: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT OF ADVERTISING
SPOTDELI: A UNIFIED PLATFORM FOR COMMERCIAL DELIVERY IN DUTCH TELEVISION
17. 7. 2025In a major step toward modernization and efficiency, Screenforce has collaborated with TV broadcasters in the Netherlands and have launched SpotDeli, a centralized platform for submitting TV commercials. Developed by Screenforce and MediaLab, SpotDeli has become the exclusive gateway for delivering commercials to major Dutch sales houses, including Ster, Talpa Network, and Ad Alliance. This… Continue reading THE MAGIC OF REPETITION: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT OF ADVERTISING
MADE IN AUSTRIA – MADE FOR AUSTRIA
16. 7. 2025A Unified Media Front for Austria’s Advertising Ecosystem In a historic first, Austria’s entire media industry, public and private broadcasters, alongside print and digital publishers, have launched a joint campaign to assert the value of local media to the nation’s economic and democratic health. The Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF), the Association of Austrian Private Broadcasters… Continue reading THE MAGIC OF REPETITION: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT OF ADVERTISING
ITV EMBRACES YOUTUBE AS A STRATEGIC DISTRIBUTION AND COMMERCIAL CHANNEL
24. 6. 2025In a decisive shift away from legacy broadcast-only models, ITV fully integrated YouTube into its content and commercial strategy throughout late 2024 and early 2025. Rather than using YouTube purely as a promotional channel, ITV transitioned to treating the platform as a core pillar of its distribution architecture, publishing full-length episodes, launching thematic channels, and… Continue reading THE MAGIC OF REPETITION: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT OF ADVERTISING
ADS & DATA X SPA REINE ECO-PACK: UNLOCKING INCREMENTAL REACH THROUGH DATA-DRIVEN TV TARGETING
22. 5. 2025SPA Reine’s Eco-Pack campaign with Ads & Data sets a new benchmark in media innovation by combining linear TV with Addressable TV (Smart AD) to deliver incremental reach and optimize frequency. In a still water category under growing pressure from tap water and price-driven private labels, SPA Reine worked with Ads&Data to reaffirm its leadership… Continue reading THE MAGIC OF REPETITION: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT OF ADVERTISING
ATRESMEDIA PUBLICIDAD’S FREQUENCY OPTIMISER
21. 5. 2025Frequency Optimization in Connected TV Advertising Atresmedia Publicidad has introduced the Frequency Optimizer, a new technology solution aimed at improving the effectiveness and efficiency of advertising in connected television (CTV). The system utilizes HbbTV (Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV) technology and a sophisticated ad-serving platform to manage and control ad frequency in real time, an advancement… Continue reading THE MAGIC OF REPETITION: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT OF ADVERTISING
AD MANAGER BY RTL ADALLIANCE – A UNIQUE GATEWAY TO EUROPE’S PREMIUM DIGITAL VIDEO INVENTORY
17. 4. 2025A unique gateway to Europe’s premium digital video inventory RTL AdAlliance has introduced AdManager, a self-service advertising platform that enables advertisers to directly purchase premium digital video inventory across multiple European markets. The platform consolidates access to Connected TV (CTV), Broadcaster Video-On-Demand (BVOD), and online video inventory within a single, user-friendly interface. It’s a first-of-its-kind… Continue reading THE MAGIC OF REPETITION: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT OF ADVERTISING
A VEVO & CHANNEL 4 STUDY – UNLOCKING THE POWER OF PREMIUM
17. 4. 2025Amid ongoing industry discussions around the definition of premium content and the role of global streaming platforms within the broader “TV” ecosystem, Vevo, the world’s leading music video network, which distributes the largest network of premium music channels on YouTube, has released a new study. The research conducted by Amplified Intelligence offers valuable insights into… Continue reading THE MAGIC OF REPETITION: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT OF ADVERTISING
THE MAGIC OF REPETITION: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT OF ADVERTISING
26. 3. 2025In a world where distractions are everywhere, grabbing consumers’ attention feels like trying to catch lightning in a bottle. From scrolling through social media while watching TV to listening to the radio while driving, consumers are often distracted. This presents a unique challenge for advertisers: how can we connect with an audience immersed in multitasking?… Continue reading THE MAGIC OF REPETITION: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT OF ADVERTISING
TELETEST 2.0: AUSTRIA’S NEXT-GEN TV MEASUREMENT
21. 3. 2025Teletest 2.0 is Austria’s new TV measurement system, developed by AGTT, which significantly enhances the way TV viewership and ad reach are measured. It introduces a new audience panel with 100,000 synthetic people meter participants, significantly increasing accuracy and depth of audience measurement, enabling real-time data collection and improving data quality across the Austrian television… Continue reading THE MAGIC OF REPETITION: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT OF ADVERTISING
ADS & DATA: LEVERAGING BEHAVIOURAL AND CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS FOR SMARTER ADVERTISING
14. 2. 2025In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, Interest Targeting has been pioneered by Ads & Data. This involves leveraging behavioural and contextual data to serve the most relevant ads. This business case looks at how Ads & Data use this to advertise thereby enhancing campaign performance on their display and shortform platform. With the prospect of developing… Continue reading THE MAGIC OF REPETITION: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT OF ADVERTISING
THE FUTURE OF RETAIL MEDIA: A COLLABORATIVE MARKETPLACE FOR TARGETED TV ADS
14. 2. 2025Last autumn, FranceTV Publicité, M6 Publicité, and RMC BFM Ads, collaborated and partnered with Unlimitail, to launched TV Retail Connect, the first collaborative Retail Media Marketplace for Addressable TV (ATV) and HVOD in the country. Addressable TV has experienced noticeable growth in recent years in France, with impressions increasing by 41% since early 2024. With… Continue reading THE MAGIC OF REPETITION: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT OF ADVERTISING