ALWAYS SOMETHING THERE TO REMIND ME

AVAILABILITY BIAS - FAMILIARITY


Over-reliance on information that is top-of-mind because it is recent, familiar, or vivid. This week we explore familiar information.

When we make decisions, our brains conserve energy by tapping into experiences from our past. We rely on any reference point – however brief – as a predictor of success. More exposure = more familiar, and thus frequency drives preference. 

This heuristic is the cornerstone of above-the-line advertising; consumers often buy brands they’ve heard of before (Tide, Pepsi, Sargento!) over private-label alternatives.

SO WHAT

Humans gravitate towards familiar options even when lesser-known alternatives may be better.

NOW WHAT

  • Select one defining brand attribute or value proposition and repeat it.

  • “Drip marketing” via email, newsletters, and social, effectively builds familiarity and thus preference.

  • Combat your own availability bias; use checklists to distill what is concrete and confirmed.

MARKETING IMPLICATION

Heavy-up in places where your audience spends the most time - channels, content, and context – to build familiarity quickly. How much do you know about your consumer’s lifestyle and habits?


Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.

- Vernon Sanders Law


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YESTERDAY’S SONGS