I. Introduction
In this era of information explosion, marketing methods are emerging in an endless stream. Dear friends, have you ever wondered why some advertisements appear in front of us frequently, but we can’t muster the slightest interest, and even feel annoyed? While some brands, even without much fanfare in promotion, still manage to hold a place in our hearts. Today, let’s talk about the “mere – exposure effect” in marketing and its unexpected “malfunctions”.
Walking on the street, all kinds of flyers and posters are overwhelming. Merchants all want to deeply imprint their products in the minds of consumers like us through continuous exposure. On TV, advertisements play one after another, cycling throughout the day. When we turn on our mobile phones, social media and short – video platforms are also full of various brands. The logic behind this is actually the “mere – exposure effect” at work.
The so – called “mere – exposure effect”, simply put, is that we humans tend to have a preference for things we are frequently exposed to. Familiarity breeds liking. For example, you pass by a small store every day on your way to and from work. At first, you may not pay much attention, but as time goes by and your familiarity with it increases, maybe one day you can’t help but go in and have a look. In the marketing field, this effect is widely used. Merchants think that as long as their products or brands show up in front of consumers several times, consumers will be more likely to have a favorable impression of them and then make a purchase.
But is this really the case in reality? We often see some advertisements that spend a lot of money and desperately expose themselves through various channels, but the results are not satisfactory. Consumers either turn a blind eye to these bombarding advertisements, skip them directly, or even develop a negative impression of the brand. It’s strange. Why does the mere – exposure effect fail? Don’t worry. Next, let’s explore the reasons in depth.
II. The Principle and Normal Manifestations of the Mere – Exposure Effect
(1) The Definition of the Mere – Exposure Effect
In the field of psychology, the mere – exposure effect is a very interesting and common psychological phenomenon. It means that the more an individual is exposed to a certain stimulus, the more likely they are to develop a positive attitude towards this stimulus. In simple terms, we have a preference for things we are familiar with; familiarity breeds liking. This effect was verified by psychologist Robert Zajonc through a series of experiments. In the experiments, he asked participants to view photos that appeared at different frequencies. The results showed that the photos that appeared more frequently were more liked by the participants.
In daily life, such examples are everywhere. Take music, for instance. When we listen to a song for the first time, we may think it’s ordinary and nothing special. But as we keep hearing it in various situations, such as in shopping malls, on the radio, or in friends’ playlists, we gradually develop a liking for this song and may even hum it unconsciously. And that unremarkable snack bar on the street. At first, we may not notice it at all. However, since we pass by it every day on our way to and from work, over time, one day we may be attracted by its aroma and go in to give it a try.
(2) Positive Effects in Different Fields
Marketing Field: The mere – exposure effect is a “secret weapon” for brands to build their popularity. By repeatedly displaying brand images and product information through various channels such as TV, the Internet, and outdoor advertisements, it can deepen consumers’ impression of the brand. Take Coca – Cola, for example. Its iconic red packaging and unique logo frequently appear in every corner of our lives. From supermarket shelves to cinema advertising screens, and then to the sponsorship logos of sports events, continuous exposure has made Coca – Cola a globally well – known brand. When consumers buy beverages, they are often more inclined to choose it because of their familiarity with the brand. According to relevant research, under the same other conditions, for every 10% increase in a brand’s exposure, the average sales volume of its products will increase by 5% – 8%. This fully demonstrates the powerful influence of the mere – exposure effect in promoting consumers’ purchasing decisions in marketing.
Interpersonal Field: In interpersonal communication, the mere – exposure effect also plays an important role. Recall, in school, aren’t those classmates who often show up in class activities and actively participate in discussions more likely to be well – known and liked by everyone? Or in the workplace, frequent communication and cooperation with colleagues, increasing your exposure in the team, can not only enhance your presence in the team but also promote mutual understanding and trust. Research indicates that in a new social environment, for people who are initially strangers to each other, the probability of developing a favorable impression of each other will increase by 30% – 40% after frequent contact and interaction. That’s why we often develop deep friendships with our classmates and colleagues around us.
Cultural Communication Field: For the dissemination of cultural works, art forms, etc., the mere – exposure effect is also indispensable. If an excellent movie has a wide screening schedule in major cinemas and is promoted through various means such as social media and trailers, allowing more people to get to know it, the box – office of this movie is often more impressive. Some classic literary works, through repeated publications, recommendations, and exposure in the form of adaptation into film and television works, are known and loved by generations of readers. And for the inheritance and promotion of traditional culture, through holding various cultural activities, exhibitions, and setting up relevant special topics in TV programs, more people can come into contact with traditional culture, thus stimulating the public’s interest in and love for traditional culture.
III. Case Analysis of the Failure of the Mere – Exposure Effect
(1) Cases of Negative Product Exposure
The “Cancer – Causing” Incident of BaWang Shampoo: In 2010, BaWang Shampoo was exposed by the media to contain dioxane, which may cause cancer. Once this news spread, it immediately caused a huge stir. Although the subsequent statement from the National Food and Drug Administration stated that all shampoos contain a certain amount of dioxane, and the content in BaWang Shampoo was not sufficient to pose a threat to human health, and BaWang sued the involved media and won the lawsuit. However, this negative exposure still dealt a heavy blow to BaWang Shampoo. Before this, BaWang, with Jackie Chan as the spokesperson and the magic “Duang” advertising slogan, made the product popular across the country, and its market share continued to rise. But after the negative exposure, consumers’ trust in it dropped sharply, and sales plummeted. According to relevant data, within a few months after the incident, the sales volume of BaWang Shampoo declined by more than 50% year – on – year. Even though BaWang took a series of remedial measures later, such as changing the packaging and launching new product lines, the brand image had been severely damaged and has not yet returned to its peak market position.
The “Premature Sexual Development” Incident of Synutra Milk Powder: In August 2010, the media reported that three infants in Wuhan, Hubei Province, who consumed the same batch of Synutra milk powder, were detected with seriously excessive estrogen in their bodies and showed symptoms of “premature sexual development”. The news spread, and Synutra milk powder was immediately pushed to the forefront. Although the subsequent investigation and test results announced by the Ministry of Health showed that the three cases of simple premature breast development in infants in Hubei had no connection with the consumption of Synutra Youbo infant milk powder, and the hormone content in the Synutra milk powder and other infant milk powders sampled on the market was also normal. However, during the fermentation of the incident, the brand image of Synutra milk powder was severely damaged. Some domestic supermarkets took Synutra milk powder off the shelves one after another, and the stock price of Synutra International on NASDAQ also dropped significantly, with the maximum decline reaching 35.44% at one time. Since then, the market share of Synutra milk powder has continued to shrink. Even after the storm subsided, the reconstruction of consumers’ trust in it has been very slow. In the Weibo Word – of – Mouth List of Infant Milk Powder in October 2020, the negative evaluation index of Synutra was still relatively high. This incident fully shows that once a product encounters negative exposure, even if it is finally proven innocent, it will have a long – term and far – reaching impact on the brand image and sales performance.
(2) Cases of Negative Person Exposure
Let’s talk about the incident of Zhang Songwen being exposed by Jiang Chen. At the beginning of 2025, Zhang Songwen, who became extremely popular due to the drama “The Knockout”, was suddenly exposed by Jiang Chen in a video for negative events such as cheating and domestic violence. Although Jiang Chen did not name names in the video, through details such as describing the person as being from Guangdong, being a teacher, having good Cantonese, and liking to go to the wet market to buy cheap vegetables in the evening, netizens speculated that the target was Zhang Songwen. Subsequently, Jiang Chen exposed an 11 – minute recording with the investor of the movie “The Sun Hangs High in the Sky”. In the recording, the investor expressed dissatisfaction with Zhang Songwen’s behavior style in the crew, which made the incident continue to ferment.
After this incident was exposed, it attracted extensive attention and discussion. Zhang Songwen remained silent and did not respond to this incident. But from the trend of public opinion, although some netizens were skeptical about Jiang Chen’s exposure, thinking that its credibility was not high, and Zhang Songwen’s previously established positive image was deeply rooted in people’s hearts, so this incident did not cause a devastating blow to him. However, Jiang Chen’s own image collapsed due to this exposure. Netizens questioned her one after another, thinking that she was trying to ride the coattails of popularity. Previously, Jiang Chen had been promoting her life in the United States in a high – profile manner on social networks, showing a luxurious life while making some inappropriate remarks, which had already left a bad impression on netizens. After this exposure incident, she was even more severely criticized by a large number of netizens. This incident also fully reflects that over – exposure of negative information may not only harm the person being exposed but also make the exposer fall into the whirlpool of public opinion, resulting in a situation of losing more than gaining.
IV. In – Depth Analysis of the Reasons for the Failure of the Mere – Exposure Effect
(1) Dominance of Negative Information
In the process of information dissemination, negative information often has a stronger impact and dissemination power. When the exposure information an individual receives is mainly negative, it is likely to trigger the psychological defense mechanism. From the perspective of evolutionary psychology, humans are more sensitive to potentially threatening information, which is an instinctive reaction formed to protect their own safety. When we see negative exposures such as product quality problems and negative behaviors of people, our brains will quickly activate the defense mechanism, regarding these information as potential threats, and thus developing a negative evaluation of the relevant objects.
Negative information is also likely to trigger stereotypes. Once a brand or person is labeled negatively, this label will leave a deep impression in people’s minds and is very difficult to change. Just like BaWang Shampoo and Synutra Milk Powder mentioned above, even though it was later proven that the products themselves had no problems, the negative stereotypes in consumers’ minds had already formed and were difficult to eliminate in a short time. Relevant research shows that after a negative exposure incident, consumers’ negative evaluations of the brand will last for an average of 6 – 12 months. During this period, the brand’s market share and sales performance will be seriously affected.
(2) Over – exposure Leading to Boredom
With the increasing richness of information dissemination channels, exposures such as advertisements and promotions are everywhere. When a certain piece of information is over – exposed, it will lead to information fatigue. People are exposed to a large amount of information every day, while the attention and processing ability of the brain are limited. When the same advertisement or promotional content appears repeatedly, constantly occupying our attention resources, the brain will feel tired and thus develop a resistant attitude towards this information. Research has found that when the same advertisement is played more than 10 times in a week, consumers’ attention and favorable impression of it will show a significant downward trend.
Over – exposure can also lead to attention dispersion. When we are in an environment overly surrounded by a certain piece of information, our attention will be scattered, and we cannot focus on the core content of the information. For example, on some video platforms, the frequently appearing pre – roll advertisements. In order to watch the video content as soon as possible, viewers often choose to skip the advertisements directly and may even feel annoyed by them. In this way, even if the advertisement content itself has a certain degree of attractiveness, it is difficult to achieve the expected communication effect.
Over – exposure is also likely to cause aesthetic fatigue. For some exposure content with insufficient creativity and a single form, over time, people will gradually lose interest in it. Just like some celebrities frequently appear in various variety shows. At first, they may attract the attention of the audience, but if the program content lacks novelty, the audience will develop aesthetic fatigue towards them, and may even feel disgusted with the celebrities themselves. A survey shows that about 70% of viewers say that they will gradually reduce their favorable impression of celebrities who frequently appear on the screen with a single form of performance.
(3) Subjective Differences of the Audience
Everyone has their own unique preferences and values, which will affect our acceptance of exposure information. For things we like, we may be more willing to be exposed to relevant information and are more likely to develop a favorable impression. Conversely, for things we are not interested in, even if they are exposed frequently, it is difficult to attract our attention. For example, people who like sports may be more interested in the advertisements of sports brands, while paying less attention to the advertisements of fashion brands. Research shows that personal preferences can influence the willingness to buy products by 40% – 50%.
The preconceived concept also has an impact on the mere – exposure effect. If we have already been influenced by factors such as others’ evaluations and word – of – mouth before coming into contact with a certain brand or person and have formed a certain view, then the subsequent exposure information may be filtered by this preconceived concept. For example, before a new mobile phone is launched, there are some negative evaluations on the Internet. Even if the mobile phone conducts a large amount of publicity and promotion later, some consumers may still be skeptical about it because of the previous negative evaluations, resulting in the mere – exposure effect being difficult to play a role.
In addition, the knowledge background and cognitive level of the audience will also affect their understanding and judgment of exposure information. For some products or information with strong professionalism, if the audience lacks the relevant knowledge background, they may not be able to understand their value and advantages. Even if they are exposed to it many times, it is difficult to develop a favorable impression. For example, for the advertisements of some high – end technology products, if they are not promoted in an easy – to – understand way, for consumers who do not understand the relevant technology, they may not be interested.
V. How to Avoid the Failure of the Mere – Exposure Effect and Reasonably Use Exposure
(1) From the Perspective of Brands and Individuals
Ensure Product Quality: Product quality is the cornerstone of a brand. Only by providing high – quality products and services can a brand win the trust and word – of – mouth of consumers. Take Apple Inc. as an example. It has always been committed to creating high – quality electronic products, strictly controlling the quality of every link from hardware to software. With excellent product quality, Apple has a large number of loyal users worldwide and still occupies an important position in the highly competitive smartphone market. Another example is Xiaomi. In the early days, it quickly opened up the market with cost – effective mobile phone products. But with the intensification of market competition, Xiaomi has paid more attention to the improvement of product quality, continuously increased R & D investment, optimized the production process, and launched a series of high – quality products, thus consolidating the brand’s position in the hearts of consumers.
Convey a Positive Image: Both brands and individuals should convey positive images and values through various channels. Coca – Cola’s advertising campaigns have always conveyed the values of happiness and sharing. Through various energetic advertising images and warm stories, consumers can feel the positive emotions brought by the brand. At the individual level, public figures can establish a good image by participating in public welfare activities and sharing positive life bits. For example, Han Hong not only has outstanding achievements in the music field but also has been committed to public welfare for a long time. By taking actions to convey love and positive energy, she has won the respect and love of the general public.
Maintain Appropriate Exposure: Reasonably plan the exposure frequency and channels to avoid over – exposure. Market research and data analysis can be used to understand the media usage habits and acceptance levels of the target audience, and develop personalized exposure strategies. For example, some emerging beauty brands, in the initial stage of promotion, choose to cooperate with some popular beauty bloggers and conduct appropriate product promotion and exposure on social media platforms. This can not only accurately reach the target audience but also prevent consumers from feeling bored. At the same time, the exposure strategy can be flexibly adjusted according to different product life cycles and market conditions. In the initial stage of product launch, the exposure frequency can be appropriately increased to improve product awareness; while in the stable period of the product, appropriate exposure can be maintained to keep the brand’s popularity.
Pay Attention to Innovation and Differentiation: In a highly competitive market environment, only by continuous innovation and providing differentiated products and services can we attract the attention of consumers. Tesla cars stand out in the automotive industry with their unique electric vehicle technology and innovative self – driving functions. Tesla continuously launches new models and technologies, such as Model 3 and Model Y, to meet the needs of different consumers. Its self – driving technology has led the development trend of the automotive industry and attracted a large number of consumers to pay attention to and purchase. In terms of personal development, continuously learning new knowledge, improving skills, and showing unique personal charm and talent can also increase one’s attractiveness among people. For example, some self – media creators stand out among many creators through unique creativity and style, attracting the attention of a large number of fans.
Precisely Position the Audience: Deeply understand the needs, preferences, consumption habits, etc. of the target audience, and conduct accurate market positioning and marketing. Take the maternal and infant brand as an example. It needs to provide corresponding products and services according to the needs of babies of different ages and mothers – to – be. For example, for newborn babies, launch softer and more comfortable diapers and baby clothes; for mothers – to – be, provide parenting knowledge sharing, postpartum care, etc. At the same time, in the selection of advertising and promotion channels, accurate placement should also be carried out according to the characteristics of the target audience. For example For the young mother – to – be group, advertisements can be placed on maternal – infant social media platforms, parenting apps, etc., to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of exposure.
(2) From the Audience’s Perspective
Cultivate Critical Thinking: When facing a large amount of exposure information, the audience should learn to think independently, analyze the authenticity, reliability, and value of the information. Don’t be easily influenced by advertising, public opinion, etc. Instead, obtain information from multiple channels and make a comprehensive judgment. For example, when buying a skin – care product, don’t blindly purchase it just because of the advertised effects. Instead, check the product’s ingredient list, user reviews, and other information to understand the real effects and safety of the product. At the same time, for some hot events and remarks on the Internet, also maintain critical thinking, don’t blindly follow the trend, and avoid being misled by false information.
Distinguish between the Intrinsic Value and External Exposure of Information: Don’t assume that something must be valuable just because it has a high exposure. Learn to dig out the intrinsic value of the information, and pay attention to the quality, performance, meaning, etc. of the product or thing itself. For example, when choosing a book to read, don’t just look at the books on the best – seller list. Instead, choose books that are truly meaningful and profound according to your own interests and needs. When choosing a travel destination, don’t just choose the popular tourist attractions. Instead, discover some niche places with unique charm, so as to obtain a more valuable experience.
Keep an Open Mind: Don’t reject exposure to relevant information just because of your fixed impression of something. Try to accept new things, ideas, and concepts, and broaden your horizons and cognitive boundaries. For example, for some emerging high – tech products, although you may not understand them at first, you can learn about the product introductions, user experiences, etc., and try to accept and use them. Maybe you will find new surprises. At the same time, in interpersonal communication, don’t refuse to have further contact with others just because of a bad first impression. Give each other more opportunities to understand and get to know each other.
Correctly View the Mere – Exposure Effect: Recognize the positive and negative impacts of the mere – exposure effect in life, and rationally use it to improve your quality of life and decision – making level. For example, you can cultivate your aesthetic ability by being exposed to excellent art works, music, etc., multiple times. When choosing products, you can refer to some well – reputed and highly – exposed brands, but at the same time, also conduct rational comparison and analysis. In addition, for some negative exposure information, stay vigilant to avoid being negatively affected.
VI. Conclusion
Dear friends, today we have deeply explored the mere – exposure effect in marketing and its malfunction phenomena. Have you gained a lot? As a powerful psychological law, the mere – exposure effect plays an important role in many fields such as marketing, interpersonal relationships, and cultural dissemination. However, we have also seen that once negative information dominates, over – exposure occurs, or the subjective differences of the audience are ignored, it may fail and even have the opposite effect.
For brands and individuals, understanding these reasons can help us better apply the mere – exposure effect and avoid pitfalls. Ensuring product quality, conveying a positive image, maintaining appropriate exposure, focusing on innovation and differentiation, and precisely positioning the audience are all the keys to standing out in the competition. For us consumers, cultivating critical thinking, distinguishing between the intrinsic value and external exposure of information, keeping an open mind, and correctly viewing the mere – exposure effect can enable us to make more rational decisions in this era of information explosion and not be influenced by overwhelming advertisements.
I hope everyone can be inspired by today’s sharing. Skillfully apply the mere – exposure effect in life and work, making it work for us instead of being led by it. Remember to like and share it with your friends around you, so that more people can understand this interesting and practical knowledge! If you have other questions about marketing, psychology, or want to share your insights, welcome to leave a message in the comment section. Let’s communicate and discuss together!
