Expert: Sean Trapani - 11/3/2008

Question
How many times must a customer see an ad before it makes a lasting impression?

Answer
Jacki,

There is no rule on this. Someone who made their living off of buying and selling media space would quote studies that suggest about 3-5 impressions (or a "frequency" of 3-5). But the simple truth is, it depends on the commercial, the audience and the timing.

Let's use TV as a reference point.

Apple's '1984' commercial ran once. One time. And yet, it helped sell millions of products, launch a brand identity and is still regarded as one of the finest TV spots ever produced.

Master Locks used to only buy one TV commercial per year - and, like the Apple spot - use the Super Bowl to expose that single ad to the world.

Today, spots like the Cadbury Gorilla spot and the new 'wassup' spot are being forwarded to millions of others after only being viewed once.

This being said, the way I prefer to answer the question is "once." If you've created a remarkable ad.


ST