The Power of Repetition in Marketing: A Lesson from 'Rhinestone Cowboy

“I've been walkin' these streets so long, Singin' the same old song…”

The tune was starting up again. My shoulders tensed.

"I know every crack in these dirty sidewalks of Broadway…”

Uggghhhhhhh.

“Where hustle's the name of the game, And nice guys get washed away like the snow in the rain…”

It was 1996, and I was crammed into the back seat of a dirty Ford Bronco, with the floor covered in sticky spilled orange juice and Doritos wrappers. My ears hurt from the music. I leaned on my backpack and tried to sleep, but it was a losing battle.

“There's been a load of compromising… on the road to my horizon.

But I'm gonna be where the LIGHTS are SHININ' on MEEEEEEEE…”

I wanted to punch Amy for talking me into this trip.

"Like a RHINESTONE COWBOY, Riding out on a horse in a star-spangled rodeo!”

As the song blared on, I reconsidered my life choices.

-I'd been finishing a stint at a summer camp in the mountains of Colorado, and had a week before the dorms opened up at my college nearby.

I had nowhere to sleep, but being a carefree college kid, I brought my backpacking gear, figuring I'd just find a buddy to hit the trails with before school started.

My plan worked! I met Amy, another outdoorsy gal at the camp who was up for an adventure, and we made a plan for a girls' backpacking trip to some local peaks.

The morning of the trip, though, she informed me our plan had changed:

Her camp-crush Bryce had also planned a backpacking trip, his to the Grand Tetons with his bestie Garth. She'd convinced Bryce to let us join their trip, —and by the way, if I didn't go, I was on my own.

Two things quickly became clear:

1) Garth was furious that a couple of chicks were crashing their guys' trip, and

2) they wouldn't be changing any of their usual male-bonding trip rituals on our behalf.

The first ritual? They always listened to the 1970s anthem “Rhinestone Cowboy” by Glenn Campbell in the car on the way to their adventures.

And they didn't just listen to it once.

They put the song on repeat, at full volume, for the whole drive.

In case you're wondering, it was a nine-hour drive to the Grand Tetons in Wyoming.

Nine. Hour. Drive.

As we drove through the night, my ears were battered by “Rhinestone Cowboy” approximately 169 times.

The singer put it best: there was a lot of compromisin' on the road to my horizon.

The Tetons were stunningly beautiful, but the guys turned out to be so weird and annoying that it was like being on a vacation with Beavis & Butthead.

I found myself wishing I'd thrown myself out of the car to escape by at least the 24th playing of Rhinestone Cowboy.

The only Rhinestone Cowboy I can stand at this point…

Ashley, I've blocked out most of the details of the rest of the trip. But no matter

…how many years it's been,

…where I am when I hear the song, or

…what I'm doing when it comes on…

The second I hear Rhinestone Cowboy, I'm suddenly a college kid in the back of a Bronco, barrelling towards Wyoming. I can see everyone's faces. I can hear their voices. I can taste the Doritos.

Why?

Because repetition is powerful.

Repetition makes things stick.

I've been on many backpacking adventures, but there's only one that I can remember exactly what was playing on the car stereo on the way there.

Which begs the question:

Are you harnessing the power of repetition in your marketing?

Do you have pithy messages or phrases that are easy for your clients to repeat? (…which become natural marketing for you).

Do you repeat memorable ideas/tidbits about yourself or your work throughout your marketing? (Example: if you've read my emails for a while, you know my outdoorsiness is part of my “brand”).

Do you repeat calls-to-action throughout your website, emails, or other communication?

Where else can you utilize more repetition? (Don't worry, you don't have to do it at Rhinestone Cowboy-torture level).

Repetition sticks.

Repetition works.

Repeat.

Repeat.

To your success,

p.s. When it comes to people I would love to spend 9 hours in a car with: Ginger Huebner is a talented artist, skilled retreat leader, and extraordinary human being. Her Create + Connect retreats go beyond words to incorporate art & deeper communication for families & individuals. You don't have to be an artist for the creative process to unlock deeper connection. Check out her retreats here.

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