We’ve all done this. Let’s imagine that you have recently learned about a small town in Italy called, Positano. You’ve never heard of it before but now you seem to keep seeing things about it everywhere. This phenomenon is called the frequency illusion. It is when you notice something recently and your brain gives more attentional processing and therefore, is more likely to be consciously perceived. So, no, it’s not a sign that you must buy that red dress because you keep seeing red dresses everywhere! You’re seeing red dresses everywhere because since you’ve thought about buying that red dress, it’s at the forefront of your mind. This can also create a confirmation bias in our minds. This phenomenon is interesting because it can be used in marketing strategy. When marketing your brand, the frequency illusion will cause people to notice you more.
In order to trigger the frequency illusion, starting with a strong message. Use powerful, yet concise visuals that are memorable. Invoking strong emotions will cause people to remember your ad. This means making content that’s relatable & relevant. Get your logo everywhere across various platforms. Make sure you don’t fall into the pitfall of being too spammy here though. The real hero is the content itself. It must stand out and create an emotional connection. This is why we truly believe that UGC is a great way to use the frequency illusion in your marketing and advertising efforts. It’s relatable, it’s sometimes funny, which means memorable and it always provokes a strong emotional connection.
