Table of contents
Behind every single successful brand lies repetition. You have Nike’s “Just Do It.” Apple’s “Think Different.” Donald Trump’s “Build The Wall” and “Make America Great Again.” Snicker’s “You’re not you when you’re hungry”… I could go on forever.
Every single successful brand, every single successful political campaign… They repeat just one or two ideas over and over again, ad nauseam. And that repetition plays a critical role in their success.
A consistent message across social media, email, and your site builds trust, boosts brand recall, and raises brand awareness.
Why it’s so damn hard
Most of us feel repetitive and uninteresting if we say the same thing more than once. Of course we do! We take the things we know for granted. To say them even once feels unnatural enough.
But other people can’t read our minds. They don’t even know what we do on a daily basis. How we can help them or what we think about certain things.
Even if we tell them, chances are it won’t stick the first time.
The first barrier to repetition is the curse of knowledge.
Normally when we talk about the curse of knowledge, we refer to the fact that experts have a hard time explaining things to a total beginner (because they implicitly assume background knowledge that the beginner lacks).
But there is another aspect to the curse of knowledge: we see 100% of our own social media posts, blog articles, videos, emails, and podcast appearances. But others—even our followers—catch maybe 0.1% of it.
My email list has an average open rate of 38%. That means less than half of the people who have opted-in to receive my emails actually read any given email I send out. I could probably say the same thing in the next ten emails, and there would still be a sizeable portion of my subscribers that has no idea what I’m about.
We assume others are more or less just as aware of what we’re up to as we are. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Best case scenario is someone sees and engages with every piece of marketing we put out into the world. And they still wouldn’t be nearly as aware of the message as we are (creation requires far more attention and awareness than consumption).
Most people need repeated exposure before brand recall kicks in.
The second barrier is curiosity.
I’m insufferably curious. I love to explore new ideas, weird phenomena, the exceptions to the rule. My mental models are constantly changing as I try to develop a more nuanced and high-fidelity view of different things.
I take ideas from one discipline and apply them to different disciplines to see if they apply (that’s how I concluded that the nature of brands is trinitarian). Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t.
Curiosity is an extremely powerful trait, especially when you work in an industry like mine.
But there’s a serious downside to it:
The downside of curiosity is that you quickly get bored with things. You always want to chase the next interesting idea, and you never want to stick around to evangelize the first one. That may be alright if you’re a man of leisure, an aristocrat who doesn’t have to work.
But when you’re trying to grow a brand, it’s a big problem.
How to repeat yourself effectively and tactfully
Repetition creates stickiness. There are three levels of repetition.
If you want brand recall without annoying people, keep the brand message simple and run it long enough to matter:
- Low: Saying different things every time
- Medium: Repeating the same ideas
- High: Repeating the same phrases
The more consistently you express an idea, the more staying power it has, and the stronger the association between your brand and the idea becomes.
Repetition of the same phrase creates the most stickiness.
For proof of this, consider that everyone still remembers Trump’s 2016 platform: Build the Wall and Make America Great Again. How many remember Hillary Clinton’s platform? Do you?
| Level | What it looks like | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Low | New angles each time | Thought leadership; depth over recall |
| Medium | Same ideas repeated | Most brands, most of the time |
| High | Same phrases repeated | Slogans, offers, sonic/visual mnemonics |
For a lot of brands, stickiness is all they need.
There’s an exception to this though: when you’re selling expertise, you also need depth.
You see, stickiness comes at a cost. To achieve it, you have to sacrifice depth.
Depending on how much depth you need to contain in your message, the appropriate mix of low (new ideas), medium (same ideas), and high (same phrases) stickiness communication changes. The bias should generally be towards excessive repetition rather than excessive depth.
Low repetition (new angles)
Use this when you’re trying to build depth instead of recall. The goal is to add nuance and build trust, not chant a slogan. This mode grows authority, but it won’t maximize brand recall.
How to repeat
Keep the same point. Use new client stories or product use-cases to make it concrete. Come back to the idea from different angles, and end each piece by restating your point in plain language.
Be mindful that if nothing repeats, nothing sticks—and brand recall stays weak.
Example: A monthly essay for consultants that argues the same promise (e.g., “sell outcomes, not hours”) using different client stories; each ends by restating the point in one sentence and links to the next stage of your funnel.
Medium repetition (same ideas, varied executions)
For most brands, this should be the bare minimum level of repetition: build memory without boring people.
How to repeat
Pick one benefit and stick with it for a set window (e.g., 2–4 weeks). Use it everywhere: ad headlines, email subjects, homepage banner, product page badges, LinkedIn and other social media posts.
Only change the creative around it (new images, new hooks). Obviously, keep your brand elements (logo, colors, voice) the same so people recognize you quickly.
That consistent message drives brand recall and, over time, better conversions. Use the same brand message in headlines and intros; don’t bury it. Don’t cram three benefits into one message.
If more people remember you but fewer click, reply, or add to cart, the creative is tired. Change the ad or post; keep the benefit.
E-commerce examples
- Weeks 1–4: “Have it when you need it” (enabled by fast, free shipping)
- Weeks 5–8: “Try it at home with zero risk” (enabled by free returns)
- Weeks 9–12: “Buy once and be done” (enabled by durable materials)
B2B examples
- Weeks 1–4: “Close the books in hours, not days” (enabled by faster reporting)
- Weeks 5–8: “Keep your cash for growth” (enabled by no setup fees)
- Weeks 9–12: “Start delivering value this week” (enabled by 48-hour onboarding)
High repetition (same phrases/codes)
Use this for launches, offers, slogans, and seasonal pushes, especially when you have strong codes to lean on.
This is where the power of repetition shows up fast in marketing campaigns. Short, memorable lines build brand recall quickly.
How to repeat
Choose a short line and use it everywhere for a set time period. Pair it with your logo, colors, and tone for consistency. Keep layouts flexible so you can swap images or video while the line stays the same.
E-commerce examples
- “Built to Outlast.” (durability)
- “Nothing Fake. Ever.” (clean ingredients)
- “Comfort, All Day.” (apparel/footwear)
- “Good Coffee, Every Morning.” (coffee/CPG)
B2B examples
- “Sales, Not Spreadsheets.” (automation/RevOps)
- “Close on Time.” (finance/close software)
- “Ship Faster. Break Less.” (devtools/platform)
- “Clean Data. Clear Decisions.” (analytics)
Something for you to think about: do you repeat yourself enough in your marketing? Are your marketing campaigns carrying a consistent message that builds brand recall and builds trust?
Jon Persson
Jon Persson