Understanding Frequency Illusion and Its Impact on Perceived Ad Repetition
· 1h ago · Originally reported by PPC Land
Frequency illusion, also known as the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, describes how people notice something new and then feel like it appears everywhere. This cognitive bias affects how audiences perceive the repetition of ads in digital campaigns.
Why it matters
Recognizing frequency illusion helps advertisers understand why users may feel overwhelmed by ad repetition, even if actual exposure is limited. This insight can inform frequency capping and campaign planning.
Explain it like I’m new here
It's like when you learn a new word and suddenly hear it all the time—ads can feel the same way to people online.
Terms in this story
Audience segment
An audience segment is a group of people or devices defined by shared characteristics, such as demographics, interests, purchase behaviour or intent, used to target or measure advertising.
Campaign
A campaign is an organised set of ads with a shared goal, budget, audience and time period, run across one or more channels and measured against defined KPIs.
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