MHM#76 What a drumming gorilla can teach us about therapy marketing
Oct 12, 2026Following on from last week's article about how marketing isn't about persuading people, I wanted to explore this idea a little further, particularly the role that visibility, repetition and memory play in marketing.
When someone decides they need a product or service, including therapy, they enter what's known in marketing as a buying situation. Perhaps they're struggling with anxiety, experiencing relationship difficulties or simply feeling that it's time to get some support.
They then start considering their options. And this is where memory plays an important role. Certain therapists might come to mind because they've seen their videos, visited their websites, heard their names mentioned or come across their marketing before.
But it's not just about which therapists they remember. It's also about what they think, feel and believe about each of them. Their brain draws on the associations they've built over time to help them evaluate their options and decide who might be the best fit.
So what we're trying to achieve through marketing isn't about persuading someone to immediately book an appointment. It's about making sure that when someone needs a therapist, you're one of the therapists who comes to mind, and that they've developed positive and accurate associations about you that make them more likely to choose you over another therapist.
You might remember the famous Cadbury gorilla advertisement from 2007. It featured a gorilla sitting behind a drum kit, playing along to Phil Collins' In the Air Tonight.
No explanation of the chocolate, no product benefits, no compelling reason to buy Cadbury. Just a gorilla playing the drums.
It became one of the most talked-about advertising campaigns of its time, and nearly 20 years later, people still remember it.
But was it actually good marketing?
Being memorable isn't always enough
On the surface, the advertisement did a lot of things well. It attracted attention, was distinctive and memorable, and generated enormous publicity, giving Cadbury plenty of additional exposure.
But what does a gorilla playing the drums have to do with buying chocolate?
Our memories work through associations. One thought, experience or situation can trigger another. The Cadbury advertisement may have created a strong association between a drumming gorilla and Cadbury chocolate, but how often does someone come across a drumming gorilla?
If we're relying on people seeing a drumming gorilla to trigger thoughts of Cadbury chocolate, we're probably going to struggle to increase sales.
It's probably not realistic to put a drumming gorilla in every confectionery aisle at Woolworths, so that whenever someone is wandering down the aisle deciding which chocolate to buy, they see the gorilla and Cadbury pops into their consideration set.
The importance of being remembered in buying situations
One of the central concepts in marketing science is mental availability, which refers to how easily a brand comes to mind in a buying situation.
Research from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute’s Marketing Science Centre explores how brands build mental availability by creating and strengthening memory associations with what are known as Category Entry Points.
These are the situations, needs or motivations that trigger someone to think about buying a particular product or service.
For chocolate, that might be wanting an afternoon treat, buying a gift or looking for something to share with friends.
For therapy, it might be experiencing another argument with your partner, feeling increasingly overwhelmed at work, struggling with anxiety or noticing that your teenager isn't coping.
These situations can trigger someone to start thinking about therapy, and ideally, you and your practice are among the options that come to mind.
Visibility and repetition are key to more appointments
Think about all the people who come across your Instagram posts, videos or other marketing activities. Many aren't actively looking for a therapist at that moment.
But that could change in three months, six months or a year.
Repeated exposure to you and your practice can help build familiarity and strengthen memory associations, particularly when your branding and messaging are consistent.
This is why marketing isn't about persuading someone to book an appointment today. It's about increasing the likelihood that they'll think of you, and think and feel the right things about you, when they do need support.
The more often people come across you and your practice, the more opportunities you have to build those associations.
And this is why it's so important to understand your ideal clients at a deep, nuanced level. Your messaging across your website, directories, social media and other marketing activities needs to speak to their specific needs, challenges, concerns and what they're hoping to achieve through therapy.
By consistently communicating these messages, you're helping prospective clients build accurate and positive associations with you and your practice. Over time, they begin to recognise that you work with people just like them, get a sense of what therapy with you might be like and feel that you genuinely understand what they're going through.
So when your ideal client decides to seek support, you're more likely to come to mind, be considered and ultimately be chosen.
References
Sharp, B. (2009). Cadbury Gorilla Advertising Gets It Right – at last. Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science. https://marketingscience.info/
Adformatie. (2025). Category Entry Points Dissected: How They Really Contribute to Growth. Published by the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science. https://marketingscience.info/
