How to Avoid Marketing Red Flag: Love Bombing

Understanding the Pitfalls of Love Bombing in Marketing

When we think of advertising, repetition often comes to mind. This idea isn't new; it traces back to Ebbinghaus' Forgetting Curve and the BBC News' Science of Memory, which demonstrate how information is lost over time without attempts to retain it.

Love bombing, a term traditionally used in the context of relationships, refers to overwhelming someone with attention and affection. In marketing, it’s akin to bombarding consumers with an excessive frequency of advertisements. Being a ‘love-bomber’ can be dangerous. According to Twilio, 45% of people say the main contributor to decreasing brand trust is too much advertising.

Thus, repetition can help embed a brand in a consumer's memory, but too much can have the opposite effect.

Determining the Right Ad Frequency

So, what is the right intensity to determine brand frequency? There is a fine line between effective repetition and excessive bombardment. Here are some key points to consider:

• Frequency Cap

The frequency cap is the number of times your ad is seen by the audience. On platforms like Meta, this can be set by the number of impressions. This frequency can be adjusted based on how often people buy your products:

           - Low ad frequency: Suitable for non-daily products (vehicles, furniture, etc.)

           - High ad frequency: Suitable for daily products (food, tissue, etc.)

Timing is also important. For example, the ad frequency for products like clothes can be increased on certain days (e.g., payday or before holidays).

This often requires A/B testing. In Unithree, we have a blueprint strategy to determine the right frequency for each brand category.

Creative Strategies for Effective Marketing

With countless brands vying for consumers' attention, surprise them by going beyond their expectations. Here are some examples from our campaigns:

• KFC Mudik 2023 Geotargeting Ads

Geotargeting ads is a digital marketing strategy that involves delivering advertisements based on geographic location. During Ramadan 2023, we capitalized on the tradition of "mudik" by strategically placing ads along popular mudik routes to promote our product, adapting to the audience’s circumstances and their location.

• Palmerah Mudik 2023

Understanding that our audience needs to inspect their vehicles for mudik trips, we promoted our services by reminding them to conduct a thorough car check before embarking on their mudik trip.

Images: Palmerah Motorindo’s Ramadan Campaign 2023

• Taco Bell Fix Pecah

We capitalized on moments when our audience feels unengaged, catching them off guard with content they wouldn't typically associate with advertising but rather with the type of content they often consume when feeling bored.

Check out these examples:

Videos: Taco Bell Fix Pecah Campaign

Effective advertising requires finding the right mix of repetition, innovation, and creativity to keep consumers engaged without overwhelming them. By avoiding the pitfalls of love bombing, you can build a strong, trustworthy brand presence that resonates with your audience.

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