By Patrick Sharpe
V.P. Audience Development, Lessiter Media
psharpe@lessitermedia.com
262-777-2405
In B2B marketing, consistency isn’t optional—it’s survival. Stop advertising, and brand recall can plummet by up to 80% within months, leaving room for competitors to take over. Stay visible, and you stay on the shortlist when it matters most.
Why Consistency Wins in B2B Marketing
In B2B markets, where purchase cycles can stretch months or even years and involve multiple stakeholders, staying visible is not just a branding exercise—it’s a competitive necessity. Decisions are rarely made in the moment; they’re the result of accumulated impressions over time. The brands that consistently appear in front of their audience build familiarity, trust, and authority—ensuring they’re already in the buyer’s mind when the time to purchase finally comes.
What is Advertising Decay?
Advertising decay rate is the measurable decline in brand awareness, recall, and purchase intent after advertising exposure stops. Without reinforcement, your message fades from memory and competitors can quickly replace you in their consideration shortlist. Infrequent advertising leaves long gaps in visibility, creating opportunities for others to own the conversation.
How Advertising Decay Impacts Brand Recall & Sales
Research consistently shows the steep drop-off that occurs without ongoing advertising:
- Ehrenberg-Bass Institute: Brand recall can drop by 50% within 3–4 months after stopping regular advertising.
- LinkedIn B2B Institute: Campaigns without reinforcement lose up to 80% of their impact within 3–6 months.
- Starch Communications: Print ads retain higher recall than digital alone, but memory retention still drops 10–20% per month without repeat exposure.
- Nielsen Catalina Solutions: Recall and purchase intent increase up to 80% with three or more exposures.
