Glossary/Strategy & Frameworks/Mere-Exposure Effect
Strategy & Frameworks
Mere-Exposure Effect
Robert Zajonc's 1968 finding that people develop a preference for things simply because they have seen them repeatedly.
By Brandon Mina·CEO, BrandPilot AI·Updated November 2026
Short answer
The mere-exposure effect is the tendency for people to develop a preference for things simply because they have seen them repeatedly. Robert Zajonc documented it in 1968. It helps explain why consistent brand presence, repeated advertising and familiar distinctive assets can increase liking, even without people consciously recalling the exposures.