Only 17% of consumers were confident they could recall the names of the last three ads they had seen after 24 hours, according to a new Adobe survey of 1,002 U.S. consumers on brand recall and discovery behavior. The same study found that when memory fails, 31% of consumers turn to an AI chatbot to try to recover the brand name, and only about half of those users say AI identifies the correct brand at least half the time.
Together, the findings suggest that brands face two related challenges: consumers quickly forget advertising, and AI assistants are not yet reliable at helping users recover brands they can no longer remember.
Why Ads Don’t Stick
Adobe’s respondents pointed to specific causes of forgettability rather than generic ad fatigue. Irrelevance was the top complaint, cited by 71% of consumers, followed by clickbait or misleading content at 56% and a lack of trust at 55%.
Even memorable ads can suffer from difficult brand names. Adobe found that 44% of consumers said brand names with three or more syllables are harder to retain, and 29% cited unusual spellings as an obstacle to recall.
Frequency emerged as another factor in recall. Respondents reported needing to encounter a message at least four times within a 24-hour window before it became memorable. Overexposure itself ranked as the second most-cited reason an ad left a lasting impression, at 43%, behind only humor and entertainment value at 56%.
Format and platform also shape what survives in memory. Short-form video was the most memorable ad format at 52%, ahead of static images at 30% and long-form video at 27%. YouTube (46%) and cable or streaming TV (40%) led as the platforms consumers associate with the longest-lasting brand impressions, with Instagram, TikTok, and traditional search clustered in the middle of the ranking. Generational splits were sharp: Gen Z respondents were 115% more likely than older generations to credit TikTok with driving lasting impressions, and 111% more likely to remember influencer endorsements specifically.
The Recovery Gap
When recall does fail, most consumers do not go looking for the brand. Adobe found that 48% simply wait for another ad to reach them again. Among those who do search, chatbot use skews toward younger and male respondents: Gen Z consumers were 23% more likely than older generations to use an AI chatbot to recover a forgotten brand name, and men were 29% more likely than women to do the same.
The chatbot pathway is where the study’s two threads meet. A consumer who forgets a brand within a day and turns to AI to recover it still reports mixed success.
Adobe’s report frames this as a “citability” problem. Adobe argues brands should improve the structured information AI systems rely on, an approach it groups under Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).
Incentives, Not Just Impressions, Bring Consumers Back
For the consumers who do reconnect with a forgotten brand, Adobe’s data shows the return trip is won on specific offers rather than repeated exposure. Price drop alerts were the most effective re-engagement tool at 54%, followed by a specific discount code at 52% and free shipping at 41%. A five-star review or testimonial ranked well behind at 24%, and a product-in-use video trailed at 20%. Millennials were the one generational exception, prioritizing discount codes over price alerts.
Certain product categories draw more patience from forgetful shoppers than others. Apparel and accessories, travel and accommodation, and home goods topped the list of categories consumers said they would scroll through multiple pages of results to relocate, though the average shopper gave up after two pages.
Methodology: Adobe surveyed 1,002 U.S. consumers on brand recall, ad memorability, and discovery behavior, with results carrying a 95% confidence level and a margin of error of plus or minus 3%. All figures are self-reported, and Adobe notes that individual perceptions may differ from actual behavior. The research was conducted and published by Adobe rather than an independent research organization, and it promotes the company’s GenStudio for Performance Marketing product as a tool for the content velocity and AI-visibility strategies it recommends.
Image source: Adobe The full report is available here
Dragomir is a Serbian freelance blog writer and translator. He is passionate about covering insightful stories and exploring topics such as influencer marketing, the creator economy, technology, business, and cyber fraud.
Only 17% of consumers were confident they could recall the names of the last three ads they had seen after 24 hours, according to a new Adobe survey of 1,002 U.S. consumers on brand recall and discovery behavior. The same study found that when memory fails, 31% of consumers turn to an AI chatbot to try to recover the brand name, and only about half of those users say AI identifies the correct brand at least half the time.
Together, the findings suggest that brands face two related challenges: consumers quickly forget advertising, and AI assistants are not yet reliable at helping users recover brands they can no longer remember.
Why Ads Don’t Stick
Adobe’s respondents pointed to specific causes of forgettability rather than generic ad fatigue. Irrelevance was the top complaint, cited by 71% of consumers, followed by clickbait or misleading content at 56% and a lack of trust at 55%.
Even memorable ads can suffer from difficult brand names. Adobe found that 44% of consumers said brand names with three or more syllables are harder to retain, and 29% cited unusual spellings as an obstacle to recall.
Frequency emerged as another factor in recall. Respondents reported needing to encounter a message at least four times within a 24-hour window before it became memorable. Overexposure itself ranked as the second most-cited reason an ad left a lasting impression, at 43%, behind only humor and entertainment value at 56%.
Format and platform also shape what survives in memory. Short-form video was the most memorable ad format at 52%, ahead of static images at 30% and long-form video at 27%. YouTube (46%) and cable or streaming TV (40%) led as the platforms consumers associate with the longest-lasting brand impressions, with Instagram, TikTok, and traditional search clustered in the middle of the ranking. Generational splits were sharp: Gen Z respondents were 115% more likely than older generations to credit TikTok with driving lasting impressions, and 111% more likely to remember influencer endorsements specifically.
The Recovery Gap
When recall does fail, most consumers do not go looking for the brand. Adobe found that 48% simply wait for another ad to reach them again. Among those who do search, chatbot use skews toward younger and male respondents: Gen Z consumers were 23% more likely than older generations to use an AI chatbot to recover a forgotten brand name, and men were 29% more likely than women to do the same.
The chatbot pathway is where the study’s two threads meet. A consumer who forgets a brand within a day and turns to AI to recover it still reports mixed success.
Adobe’s report frames this as a “citability” problem. Adobe argues brands should improve the structured information AI systems rely on, an approach it groups under Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).
Incentives, Not Just Impressions, Bring Consumers Back
For the consumers who do reconnect with a forgotten brand, Adobe’s data shows the return trip is won on specific offers rather than repeated exposure. Price drop alerts were the most effective re-engagement tool at 54%, followed by a specific discount code at 52% and free shipping at 41%. A five-star review or testimonial ranked well behind at 24%, and a product-in-use video trailed at 20%. Millennials were the one generational exception, prioritizing discount codes over price alerts.
Certain product categories draw more patience from forgetful shoppers than others. Apparel and accessories, travel and accommodation, and home goods topped the list of categories consumers said they would scroll through multiple pages of results to relocate, though the average shopper gave up after two pages.
Methodology: Adobe surveyed 1,002 U.S. consumers on brand recall, ad memorability, and discovery behavior, with results carrying a 95% confidence level and a margin of error of plus or minus 3%. All figures are self-reported, and Adobe notes that individual perceptions may differ from actual behavior. The research was conducted and published by Adobe rather than an independent research organization, and it promotes the company’s GenStudio for Performance Marketing product as a tool for the content velocity and AI-visibility strategies it recommends.
Image source: Adobe
The full report is available here
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