Case Study: Campaign Consistency Contributes to Ad Recall

What do the most-remembered print ads have in common?

Catchy headlines are cool, but that’s not it. Flashy colors are fun, but that’s not it either. The key to ad recall is frequency and continuity. Ads are more memorable when they’re repeated often as part of a long-term, consistently styled campaign.

Want proof?

Each year, IJ hires a third party research firm to conduct a “Recall and Readership” study for the first issue in November. Data is collected from actual subscribers regarding which print ads they remember seeing.

In 2012, the highest ranking ad was this one from Texas Mutual:

True, it’s a nicely crafted layout with a compelling message; however, maybe another reason why so many readers remembered seeing this ad is because they’d seen it multiple times before. Get this: the exact same ad also ran in August and September leading up to the study!

Furthermore, the ad is one of many installments in a long-term campaign. Take a look:

All the ads are styled consistently (which builds brand recognition and conveys stability), while each installment features a new employee and message (which keeps the campaign fresh). It’s no wonder that a Texas Mutual ad has ranked either first or second in reader recall for the last four years running. Kudos to the marketers behind this campaign!

In 2011 and 2010, an ad from Applied Underwriter’s took the top spot:

Granted, these are outstandingly beautiful ads (and a larger-than-life St. Bernard certainly is a memorable sight), but another important factor is that both of these top ranking ads had been run multiple times as part of a long-term campaign:

And we can’t forget Monarch E&S, which has ranked in the top five most memorable ads every year since 2009. A brilliant concept, sustained consistently over the course of many years. So so effective!

Bottom line: Ads are more memorable when they’re repeated often as part of a long-term, consistently styled campaign. Decide on a good concept, then run run run with it.