I remember, as a child, raptly watching a Saturday morning adventure
TV show where the hero was captured by the “bad guys” who gave him the
“Ancient Water Torture” in order to extract secret information.
Seems our hero was tied down while an endless amount of
water was dropped on his forehead, drop by drop, until he would
capitulate and divulge the secrets. Of course, the hero managed to
miraculously extract himself “just in the nick of time” and save the
world as he did every Saturday morning.

Today the “Ancient Water Torture” is still in use. It is an effective
technique employed by mass marketers. They drip, drip, drip the same
information in the same “voice” over and over until we, as consumers,
can never forget it. The technique works in all media. The critical
element is repetition (drip), repetition (drip), and still more
repetition (drip, drip, drip).

So maybe you don’t have a budget that makes it possible to purchase
media for constant repetition or your marketplace is very small. If
you only need to communicate with a miniscule universe of customers
and prospects “Water Torture” is an effective technique for you also.
In fact, every business can make use of this technique by having all
communications repeating the same message constantly and congruently
in logo, name, and tag line by using them in your business cards,
letterhead, signage, envelopes, web site, on the sides of vehicles,
apparel, memo pads, email signatures and everywhere else you can think
of.

The goal, of course, is to have your targeted audience retain positive
information about your company, products, and services at both the
conscious and unconscious level. The amazing thing about “Water
Torture” is that your message doesn’t necessarily have to be creative,
funny, attractive, or meaningful. While it in the memory is easier if
the message has those qualities, the key element is repetition =96 I’ll
bet every reader knows telephone numbers of a number of constantly
communicating firms just because they keep dripping it on your brain
constantly.

Remember, repeat it until it is memorized, then repeat it some more.

Larry Galler advises executives, professionals, and businesses to
extraordinary achievement. Sign up for his free newsletter at
http://www.larrygaller.com. Address questions and comments to
larry@larrygaller.com