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Happy October Eve, Inbox Hackers. And shout-out to all those hit by the big storm and terrible flooding.

Today, we’re gonna focus on a list of reasons people may not be remembering your brand. Memorization is pretty, pretty, pretty vital to branding. But repetition isn’t the only way to overcome these obstacles.

Then, we’ll blast through Monday Marketing News.

17 Forgetful Factors Affecting Branding 

1. Information overload makes it hard to remember brand messages 

2. Lifeless marketing lacks emotional connections that would enhance memory

3. Repetition fatigue can desensitize consumers despite repetition aiding memory

4. Limited sensory experiences, like during the pandemic, have hurt memory formation and recall 

5. Distractions divert attention from branding efforts 

6. Brands lacking distinctive elements may be forgotten fast

7. Lack of innovative elements don’t leverage the brain’s wiring for recalling novelty

8. If a consumer's internal state during recall differs from when they learned about the brand, it can hinder memory access (state-dependent retrieval issues - more on this below) 

9. Conflicting or unclear brand messages can confuse consumers, making it harder for them to form lasting memories

10. Passive consumption of content without active engagement opportunities can reduce retention

11. Personalization. Cliche but true, and hard to do in 2024’s supposed “Privacy Land”

12. Ambiguous branding can even create false memories of a business

13. Memories naturally decay over time, especially if not reinforced through interactions and reminders (Decay Theory)

14. Negative associations with a brand can cause the brand to be mentally written off or avoided

15. Multitasking nearly guarantees the multitasker will overlook a marketing message

16. Brand clutter. Tough to stand out in a competitive space of similar offers 

17. Engaging multiple senses can create stronger memories than messaging focused on one sense (i.e., a billboard appeals to eyes only).

I’ve got some insights on number 8. First, let’s take brands and marketing out of the equation and look at…

What causes forgetfulness in people in a general sense:

• How much focus the person has (affected by time of day, time of year, age, employment status, etc.)

• Where the person is  

• Emotional state someone’s in (i.e., a tax preparation service advertisement on April 1st - and October 1st for extensions - feels 100% urgent for a new business owner)

• Good physical and mental health improve odds of someone’s memory being above par

• Same goes for sleep quality’s effect on memory

• People remember things better if they’re interested in that topic (or related topic)

Back to State-Dependent Retrieval Issues

You can’t control how your audience or shoppers feel inside… but you can aim to nudge those feelings.

Little bitty ways to accomplish that include:

• Create calm, soothing environments in your stores and ads if you’re pimping a relaxing product / service

• For energizing products, use loud colors or upbeat music

• A signature scent for your retail spaces or products (how restaurants do it)

• A distinct audio logo or jingle

• Unique textures or materials in packaging or store design

Packaging is tricky. Apple is all about design and experience — but also sustainability, yet they don’t pack that iPhone 16 in recycled Pop-Tart boxes.

Alright, onward to News after a word from HubSpot…

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Thanks for reading and sharing Inbox Hacking. Want your non-profit to get a shout-out in this newsletter? Hit reply & let me know. Today’s shout-out goes to Lions Club International.

Shane McLendon - Copy Kingpin

Bonus Tip: Careful writing those listicles. Half of list-type articles I see have the wrong number of items in the title. That’s right, 40% of them😉!