Fear Sells, for a While

Anyone with a remote control in their hand can attest to the undeniable truth that fear sells.

Some industries lean on the fear button more than others and some exclusively, but Franklin D. Roosevelt was absolutely wrong when he declared “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

Your garden variety commercial for gold, for example, is driven by fear of economic collapse.

The insurance industry is entirely based on fear of the unknown, and there’s plenty of that going around these days too.

The pharmaceutical industry reminds one of the Charlie Brown joke about which is his fears is depressing him, when his psychiatrist Lucy asks, “How about pent-a-phobia? Do you think you have pent-a-phobia?” When Charlie Brown asks what pent-a-phobia is, Lucy snaps, “Fear of everything!”

Fashion model Jessica Alba said she rarely watches TV anymore for fear of coming across pharmaceutical commercials; she fears getting whatever disease is being described in often vivid detail that activates consumers to push the remote’s mute button.

And there’s the catch in motivating consumers to action out of fear. There’s a chance they will become immune to having their fear button activated, because they’ve already survived globalization, terrorism, urban crime, pollution, Hurricane Katrina, nuclear war, and toenail fungus.

Marketers of less naturally fear-driven products continually search for the fear-based motivator. Perhaps you’ll feel like your neighbor got a better deal at Wholesome Chevrolet, or you fear getting laughed at, which is a mainstay in Miller Beer and credit card ads.

Inspire Instead

Does your product rely on relentless pushing of the fear button? Marketers who want to kick fear to the curb are opting for so-called “aspirational” or “inspirational” messages to motivate consumers. These could range from buying a better computer for the kids to reveling in the simple pleasures of an Oreo cookie.

These approaches are by definition softer than fear-base campaigns and lack some of their bite. But, when so many fear-based messages crowding the airwaves, it may be that the clever message that lures us in with its upbeat positivity is the one that gets noticed. A plague of locusts should not be necessary motivate consumers. An “easy button” might do as well.