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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryStrategy & FrameworksMere-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 MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated 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.