In marketing frequency holds a lofty position as a key factor for effectiveness. Frequency is  the number of times a consumer needs to see your ad before they recall an buy.

I mention this because on September 20th virtually every pundit I’ve heard has hinted that President Obama may suffer from overexposure. 

Following a number of news conferences since January, multiple appearances on television interview programs, the President appeared on five different public affairs shows yesterday, and tonight he appears on David Letterman.

Of course all of this aligns with his goal of selling comprehensive health insurance reform.

The question of overexposure has to do with a struggle of the Mainstream Media to understand their own roles in an era of sea change in media and communications.  No longer is MSM the interpreter of developments for us - - at least in this case.

President Obama is using the MSM as an advertising media, speaking directly to the citizenry.  Not once, not twice … But clearly as he delivers consistent messages that are successively relayed on these networks and by other media who cover the President’s every major action.

So how many times do you have to repeat the message to get people to buy? At least three, but maybe seven, 17  if you are on line and, well, maybe up to 20 times.  These stats are well explained by Aussie blogger Bryan Ong in “A Marketing Blog by Marketing Journal” in a great 2006 post and another in 2007

My take?  What’s in play is an PR campaign driving frequency for the President’s main points.  He doesn’t need to buy air time.  But the message is direct from the country’s CEO to his electorate  ( who in turn can place extraordinary pressure on the directors, that is to say Congress)

What’s the message for those of us in the ” real world” of tight budgets, scarce resources and limited time?  The answer is more than the enduring value of frequency itself.  Even more  significant in the President’s campaign is an underlying two-step strategy. Get the out in your voice, accurately.  Then let it go viral.

To take the message public, perhaps you and I cannot command time on Sunday public affairs programs.   But you and I can publish on the Web in our own voice and with accuracy.  And we can take it viral.  I’ll post more on the Web opportunities in a future blog.

 Image from The New York Times, Sept. 21, 2009