Examining the Deleterious Effects of Advertising Repetition in a Competitive Environment

ABSTRACT - The most ubiquitous practice in advertising is repetition. The goal is to create memory and help readers learn about the product. Are there circumstances where repetition has unwanted effects? Two studies reported here examined the unwanted effects of advertising repetition when similar claims are simultaneously repeated by different brands. Study 1 showed that increased repetition in a competitive environment leads to substantial increases in both accurate brand-claim associations as well as false brand-claim endorsements. These repetition induced advantages and disadvantages was found to persist over time. Study 2 found that encoding instructions that initiate the binding of claims with a brand name mitigates this deleterious effect of ad repetition. This research indicates that negative consequences of repetition warrant further attention.

Citation:

Sharmistha Law (2001) ,"Examining the Deleterious Effects of Advertising Repetition in a Competitive Environment", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 28, eds. Mary C. Gilly and Joan Meyers-Levy, Valdosta, GA : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 390.

Advances in Consumer Research Volume 28, 2001     Page 390

EXAMINING THE DELETERIOUS EFFECTS OF ADVERTISING REPETITION IN A COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT

Sharmistha Law, University of Toronto at Scarborough

ABSTRACT -

The most ubiquitous practice in advertising is repetition. The goal is to create memory and help readers learn about the product. Are there circumstances where repetition has unwanted effects? Two studies reported here examined the unwanted effects of advertising repetition when similar claims are simultaneously repeated by different brands. Study 1 showed that increased repetition in a competitive environment leads to substantial increases in both accurate brand-claim associations as well as false brand-claim endorsements. These repetition induced advantages and disadvantages was found to persist over time. Study 2 found that encoding instructions that initiate the binding of claims with a brand name mitigates this deleterious effect of ad repetition. This research indicates that negative consequences of repetition warrant further attention.

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