The Familiarity Illusion: Why Customers Trust Brands They Barely Know

A few years ago, a small direct-to-consumer skincare brand made an odd discovery. After running a series of Instagram ads, they noticed something strange: even though the ads weren’t getting many clicks, their overall sales still went up.

It turned out that just seeing the brand’s name repeatedly made people more likely to buy when they finally encountered it elsewhere—on a blog, in a friend’s recommendation, or in an influencer’s post.

This is the Familiarity Illusion at work. People trust brands they’ve merely seen before, even if they know almost nothing about them.

Most small businesses think trust is built through deep relationships, testimonials, or years of credibility. But in reality, people often mistake familiarity for trust—a cognitive shortcut that works in your favor if you know how to use it.

Think about it. You’re walking down the snack aisle, deciding between two brands of chips. One is new to you. The other? You swear you’ve seen it somewhere before. Maybe a YouTube ad. Maybe a billboard. You don’t remember exactly where, but it feels safer, more legitimate.

Chances are, you’ll pick the familiar one—even if you know nothing else about it.

Psychologists call this the Mere Exposure Effect, and it’s been studied for decades. According to research, people prefer and trust things they’ve seen multiple times, even when they don’t consciously remember seeing them.

Why? Because the brain equates familiarity with safety. If we’ve seen something before and nothing bad happened, our subconscious assumes it must be okay.

This is why companies pour millions into brand awareness campaigns that don’t drive immediate conversions. They know that repeated exposure plants a subconscious seed.

But small businesses can use this effect, too—without a million-dollar ad budget.

Instead of focusing only on direct conversions, think about how to increase exposure with low-friction touchpoints:

• Running low-cost social media ads just for visibility—not clicks.

• Getting your name in front of potential customers through guest blog posts or podcast mentions.

• Sending short, consistent email campaigns—even if they aren’t opened, they still reinforce your brand name.

• Engaging in community conversations where your brand can pop up naturally.

The goal isn’t to force a sale in one step. It’s to make sure that when your customer is ready to buy, your brand is the one they remember.

Most small businesses obsess over immediate ROI. But what if some of your best marketing results don’t come from what customers click today—but from what they remember tomorrow?

So, how visible is your brand right now? And what small step could you take to make it just a little more familiar?

Because sometimes, trust isn’t earned. It’s just recognized.

How familiar is your brand? Let’s help you find out!