The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon—The Mind Game Every Successful Brand Plays

Have you ever learned a new word and then, like magic, started seeing it everywhere? 

Let’s say you’re scrolling through Instagram and stumble on the word “minimalism.” It’s not something you’d paid attention to before, but now it’s stuck in your head. 

The next day, you hear someone casually mention minimalist living on a podcast. A little later, you drive past a billboard advertising sleek, minimalist furniture. By the end of the week, it feels like everyone is talking about minimalism. 

What’s going on here?

You’re experiencing what’s called the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon, or the frequency illusion. This isn’t because minimalism has suddenly taken over the world—it’s your brain playing a little trick on you. 

When you first come across something new and interesting, your brain activates selective attention, making you hyper-aware of anything related to it. At the same time, confirmation bias jumps in, giving you the false impression that the term is popping up more than it used to. 

Essentially, your brain has started connecting the dots, even if those dots were always there.

A 2006 study from Stanford University showed how our brains are wired to prioritize familiar information. Once you become aware of something, your mind naturally filters the world to amplify it. 

Daniel Kahneman, the Nobel Prize-winning psychologist and author of Thinking, Fast and Slow, explains that this cognitive shortcut helps us make sense of a chaotic world but can also lead to skewed perceptions of reality.

Now, the real challenge is figuring out how you, as an online seller, can use this cognitive quirk to your advantage. How do you make your products or brand feel omnipresent—in the best way possible?

The secret lies in creating strategic repetition. This involves planting a unique idea or feature in your audience’s mind that begins to surface everywhere they look. Start by defining a distinctive hook that encapsulates your brand or product’s essence. This is your seed.

Let’s say you’re selling productivity journals. Instead of blending in with generic terms like “organized living,” focus on something more niche, like “mindful tasking.” This concept becomes the anchor of your messaging. 

Every time someone encounters your brand—through Instagram posts, influencer shoutouts, blog articles, or ads—they should see "mindful tasking" woven into the narrative.

Soon, their brains start noticing similar language or ideas in other contexts. Maybe they hear someone at work mention mindfulness in scheduling. Perhaps they come across a podcast about intentional living that echoes your messaging. 

By now, they’re connecting these dots back to your product, even when you’re not directly present.

This strategy works especially well when paired with retargeting ads. Imagine a potential customer visits your website and browses your journal but doesn’t buy. Over the next few days, they see an ad on Facebook saying, “Master mindful tasking with ease.” 

Later, they come across a blog post you’ve written about productivity hacks, or maybe an influencer uses your journal in their daily routine. By the time they’ve seen your message three or four times, their brain has already decided your journal is everywhere.

A study published in Harvard Business Review found that customers exposed to consistent messaging across multiple channels are 58% more likely to purchase. The repetition not only creates familiarity but builds trust. Familiarity feels safe, and safe translates to sales.

To deepen the effect, incorporate social proof. Feature testimonials from happy customers who’ve used your journal to transform their chaotic schedules into mindful, productive days. Share stats like “90% of users report feeling more focused within the first week.” 

When people see others validating the benefits of “mindful tasking,” confirmation bias reinforces their perception that your product is worth noticing.

You can also add an emotional layer with storytelling. Create content that shows real-life scenarios of how your journal has helped users reclaim control of their time. 

For instance, tell the story of a busy mom who found balance by journaling each morning or a freelancer who conquered procrastination. Stories stick with people, and when they align with the frequency illusion, they become even more impactful.

Let’s use another example. Say you’re launching a new product—a guided journal focused on “intentional reflection.” You start by running a social media ad campaign using that phrase.

But don’t just promote the journal; embed the concept into a larger narrative. Collaborate with wellness influencers to share how intentional reflection can improve mental clarity and emotional balance.

Post bite-sized prompts on Instagram Reels or TikTok, encouraging your audience to try a “minute of intentional reflection” and share their insights. Host a live workshop with a life coach or therapist discussing the benefits of journaling for personal growth and goal setting. 

Suddenly, the term “intentional reflection” becomes part of your audience’s vocabulary. They might hear about reflection techniques in a podcast or notice a friend talking about journaling at the coffee shop. 

Before long, it feels like the idea is everywhere, strengthening their connection to your brand and positioning your guided journal as the perfect tool to support their reflective journey.

The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon works particularly well with retargeting ads. 

Let’s say a shopper visits your site but doesn’t buy. A few hours later, they see an ad for your product while scrolling through Facebook. The next day, another ad pops up on YouTube. 

By the third or fourth time they encounter your brand, their brain registers it as something they should pay attention to. 

Research from AdRoll shows that retargeting ads are 70% more likely to convert than first-touch ads. It’s not because your product has changed—it’s because your audience’s brain has warmed up to the idea that your product is “everywhere.”

Like your first product, incorporate the power of storytelling. Create a narrative around your product that feels relatable and personal. Think about Nike’s “Just Do It.” You see it in ads, on shoes, in motivational posters—and soon, it feels like a mantra for achieving any goal.

Maybe your journal tells the story of how it helped a busy entrepreneur reclaim their day by breaking down overwhelming tasks into manageable steps or how it transformed a student’s chaotic study schedule into a balanced routine. 

Remember, the key to leveraging this phenomenon is consistency. You can’t just release your journal into the market and hope it gains attention. 

Instead, build a strategic web of exposure that makes it feel like your journal is an essential part of your audience’s daily lives. Over time, this consistent visibility turns into familiarity, familiarity into trust, and trust into sales.

So, as you plan your next campaign, think about the “seed” you want to plant. What unique message or feature can you highlight that will ignite your audience’s selective attention? 

Maybe it’s the idea of “mindful productivity” or “small wins every day.” Once you identify that message, craft a strategy to seamlessly integrate it into your audience’s routines—through blog posts, social media content, partnerships, or even subtle reminders in retargeting ads. 

By the time their brain starts connecting the dots, you’ll not only have captured their attention but also gained their loyalty. And that, my friend, is how a simple brain trick can become a big win for your brand.