The M&M effect: Why frequency in communications builds loyalty

Here's a thought for Saturday coffee. Researchers recently found that as language evolves, the words least likely to change are the ones used most frequently. We all know language transforms over time; this is why Spanish is slightly different from Italian, and why you may be comfortable using the word "got" while your stodgy parents still claim "have" is proper. But repeat words a lot, and we want to hang on to them. Call it the M&M effect.

Language apparently evolved from one common tongue about 10,000 years ago, and the simplest words -- used most often -- still remain similar across the Indo-European spectrum. The word for "three" in English is "tres" in Spanish and "theen" in Hindi. Lots of our more colorful words describing body parts and functions are very close to ancient Chaucer, too, because we use them all the time (especially when mad, or in the mood).

All of which makes us wonder: if frequency keeps words alive in our minds for centuries, then maybe frequency also leads to loyalty in brand communications. Maybe Talbots with its red postcards and BP with its yellow newspaper highlights have the right idea in running the same ad campaign year after year after year. Perhaps the trend of companies firing CMOs every two years, looking for someone smarter with a new solution, hurts their results since they never have a chance for consistency to develop. Today's Santa Claus, all plump and red, started out as a thin saint, then miniature elf, but became firmly rooted in the public's mind as a human-sized red-suited grandpa thanks to a series of Coca-Cola ads by Haddon Sundblom from 1931 to 1966. With all those frequent impressions, Santa's doing fine. Hate to think what would happen to Christmas if some new agency updated Santa's suit to Web 2.0 orange and blue.