The untapped potential of tag-ons: what every advertiser should know

In today’s media landscape, attention is fleeting and memory is selective. With every second of airtime, brands fight not only to be noticed, but to be remembered.

Yet amid all the noise, one of the simplest, most effective tools for reinforcing memory often goes overlooked: the tag-on.

A short follow-up message, usually shorter, aired after a competing ad, and designed to reinforce or expand on the original message. It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t start from scratch. It builds quietly, efficiently, and with surprising impact.

While often treated as an afterthought, the tag-on deserves far more strategic consideration. Because as the evidence shows, it plays a very specific role in how advertising works on the brain—and on behaviour.

A database designed for discovery

At DVJ, we’ve tested more than 10,000 ads, exposing consumers to advertising in a simulated media environment, designed to mimic real-world conditions as closely as possible. Respondents are shown a block of eight commercials and are free to zap, skip, or watch—just like they would at home. After a short distractor task, we ask them which brands they remember and what messages they took away.

This setup allows us to capture natural behaviour and spontaneous recall, rather than the forced exposure or artificial memory cues used in many ad tests. And because we test at scale, we can study nuanced media tactics like tag-ons with real statistical power.

Among the 10,000+ ads in our database, we identified more than 150 campaigns that used a tag-on strategy: a main ad, followed by a competitor ad, and then a shorter follow-up from the same brand. This allowed us to run a meta-analysis across campaigns, media types, categories, and creative approaches.

And this is where DVJ’s Center of Expertise comes in, our internal team of PhDs and research specialists who continuously mine our data for new insights. We don’t just run tests; we uncover bigger picture learnings. Our ambition is to help brands not only measure their effectiveness but also understand why certain tactics work (or don’t). So our team went to work, to compare the performance of ads with a tag-on versus regular standalone ads. The results? Pretty eye-opening.

The consistent effect of tag-ons on memory

Let’s start with the most consistent finding: In campaign after campaign, tag-ons had a measurable effect on memory. On average, we saw a +17% uplift in brand recall for both TV and radio spots when a tag-on was used, compared to campaigns without one. Similarly, we saw a big impact on message recall.

That’s significant. In a cluttered media environment, achieving even marginal gains in memory can mean the difference between being top of mind or out of sight. Why does this happen? Because tag-ons re-activate the communication processing in the brain. The viewer sees the brand and message again in a slightly different moment, which strengthens encoding.

So while tag-ons may seem like a minor addition, they consistently deliver one of the most valuable outcomes in advertising: being remembered.

It’s exactly what Byron Sharp and Jenni Romaniuk argue about mental availability: the way to stronger branding is by building and continuously reinforcing fresh memory structures in people’s minds. It also aligns with what academia calls Encoding Variability, we remember things better when they’re encoded in different ways.

A tag-on that simply repeats the same message reinforces a single memory trace. But one that reframes the message or introduces a new context creates multiple cues, making the brand easier to recall. So if you're looking for a reliable way to be remembered, tag-ons are a safe bet.

But Purchase Intent? That depends.

However, memory is only one part of the equation. To drive action—clicks, visits, consideration, purchase—the message must do more than repeat. It must progress.

Our meta-analysis shows that tag-ons only drive higher levels of purchase intent when they are perceived to add value. That might be new information, a clearer benefit, or a fresh emotional angle. But in the majority of the cases, tag-ons failed to meet this threshold. They simply echoed the main spot, offering nothing new, and consequently, did little to move the viewer beyond recall.

 This distinction matters. When a tag-on introduces something additional, viewers engage more deeply.

This aligns with Daniel Kahneman’s thinking on attention and cognitive ease. Once people feel like they’ve "got it," they mentally check out. A second exposure without novelty might help them remember, but it won’t necessarily move them to act.

In short: tag-ons always support memory, but only influence behaviour when they add meaningful content.

Length doesn’t matter (really)

One of the more surprising findings from our analysis was that the length of the tag-on has no meaningful impact on effectiveness. Whether it’s 5 seconds or 10 seconds, the gains in brand and message recall are virtually identical.

At first glance, this might seem like a small technical detail—but it has big implications.

Because let’s be honest: adding a tag-on isn’t free. It requires extra media budget. And in today’s environment of tightening spend and increased scrutiny, every additional second has to justify itself. That’s why this finding is so valuable: it means you can get the memory benefits of a tag-on without needing a long second spot.

From a planning perspective, this makes tag-ons a cost-efficient lever. You can use them strategically, short, sharp, and value-adding, to reinforce brand memory without blowing your media budget. It’s a classic case of less is more, as long as the content is working hard.

If you’re trying to maximise your impact per euro, a smartly constructed 5-second tag-on can be one of the most efficient tools in your media mix.

What advertisers should take from this

Tag-ons are often treated as tactical extras. But the evidence suggests they deserve a more prominent place in the planning process. If your objective is to build brand and message recall, and prime the audience for future choice, a tag-on is a proven tool. If your goal is to also stimulate action, then the key lies in crafting one that adds value beyond the original message.

For advertisers, the opportunity is clear:

• Use them strategically: Plan for tag-ons as part of your creative and media mix. Don’t bolt them on as an afterthought.

• Deliver something new: Ensure the tag-on adds information, entertainment, or clarity beyond the main spot.

• Keep it short: Make use of the mechanism in the most cost-effective way.

• Test and learn: Don’t assume. Test your tag-on in a simulated environment or live campaign. See what it really does for your brand.

P.S. A final thought on breaking through the clutter

In a world of skipping, zapping, and attention fragmentation, a tag-on gives your brand a second shot at being remembered. Used wisely, it’s not just a repetition, it’s reinforcement. It strengthens memory, sharpens recall, and, when done right, moves people closer to action.

So the next time you’re planning your campaign, don’t stop at the main event. Think about the PS. Because sometimes, that’s the part that sticks.

Get in touch

Jori van de Spijker jori.van.de.spijker@dvj-insights.com

Jori van de Spijker, Global Head of Brand and Communication at DVJ Insights, provides senior consultancy to global and local brands in the fields of brand, media, and advertising. A passionate researcher and member of the Board of Advisors at SWOCC, Jori was named Insights Professional of the Year in 2021 by the MOA in the Netherlands.