Sometimes all it takes is one phrase to get our bearings – those archetypal lines in a play or movie or book – or life — that make us stand up and shout. Anyone who has ever seen the movie The Graduate, for example, remembers the phrase “plastics.” Or the resounding mantra “Show Me the Money” from the movie Jerry Maguire.

I was recently reminded of this when I read an interview in Newsweek with former president Bill Clinton where he talked about the need for the Democrats to practice what he called “relentless explanation” to cut through the fear and confusion sown by the Republicans.

Now whatever your political persuasion, there is something powerful about the term “relentless explanation.” Think about it. Have you ever been the recipient of a message that keeps getting repeated in multiple ways that eventually sinks into your unconscious and becomes part of your mindset? Now I’m not suggesting brainwashing. But a reasoned argument that cuts through the clutter and lets you go “A ha. So that’s how it works. Or that’s what it means.”

If you’re a would-be athlete, as I am, you would have had the experience of being given instructional tips that initially don’t quite make sense but eventually through trial and error sink in and become part of you’re your own tool set. As an aspiring tennis player, for example,  pros have serenaded me with instructional tips like “low to high,” “brush up on the ball,” “twist” and while my body seems to want to do everything but, I at least now think about the terms as I’m hitting and they have become internalized.

All of which brings me back to marketing. Just as repetition works in teaching it’s equally effective in marketing and public relations. Now I’m not just talking repetition for repetition’s sake. But repetition that is that is packaged into clear, coherent statements that encapsulate what you do and why it matters.

Let me explain.

B2B PR Prospects often ask us how we begin work with new clients. Our answer is that we spend time learning their business, and as part of that process, conduct a messaging workshop. In the workshop, we drill down and create the words and phrases that best define what the company does and what differentiates them from everyone else. Out of the workshop come the words and phrases that are relentlessly used – we couldn’t resist – in all the client’s communications.

So…The fact is that repeating the messages reinforces them and adds credibility. It’s simply how we learn. As advertisers know, you typically need to see an ad five to seven times to remember it. http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/447322.html — what advertisers call the rule of  7.

The same idea applies to any marketing, including public relations. Customers need to keep hearing what you do. In all our client communications, we use the same keywords to refer to our clients’  business. And it’s helpful not only to repeat the words but to say them in multiple venues – be it in a video, podcast, article, white paper — since people have different learning styles and may prefer one medium over another.

So I won’t be accused of not practicing what I preach, here’s a quick summary of my key points.

• Define what you do in a way that is clear, engaging and understandable, honing in on key words and phrases.
• Explain it in multiple venues
• Repeat,  Repeat, Repeat, Repeat, Repeat….

How are you using repetition in your business? I’d love to hear from you.