30 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
30 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

Embrace FEAR

by The Copy Nazi Banned
22 replies
Where it all began - bad breath.

"Jane has a pretty face. Men notice her lovely figure but never linger long. Because Jane has one big minus on her report card - halitosis: bad breath."
SUVs, handwash and FOMO: how the advertising industry embraced fear | Media | The Guardian
#embrace #fear
  • Profile picture of the author joe golfer
    "A committee of the National Institutes of Health in the US subsequently lowered the threshold at which cholesterol was considered too high. Six of the seven committee doctors who made that key decision had financial ties to Pfizer – who made lipitor."

    SUVs, handwash and FOMO: how the advertising industry embraced fear | Media | The Guardian

    Unbelievable.
    Signature
    Marketing is not a battle of products. It is a battle of perceptions.
    - Jack Trout
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9337279].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author pewpewpewmonkeys
    "The only rule that ever made sense to me I learned from a history, not an economics, professor at Wharton. "Fear," he used to say, "fear is the most valuable commodity in the universe." That blew me away. "Turn on the TV," he'd say. "What are you seeing? People selling their products? No. People selling the fear of you having to live without their products." ****in' A, was he right. Fear of aging, fear of loneliness, fear of poverty, fear of failure. Fear is the most basic emotion we have. Fear is primal. Fear sells."
    -"Breck Scott" in World War Z, by Max Brooks.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9339288].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author keithb89
    Yes fear works. So does sex. So does appealing to ego. Its called pathos. You should check out this great 'marketing' writer named Aristotle.
    Signature
    http://promo.article-writing.co/qual...dable-content/
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9339950].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author joe golfer
      Originally Posted by keithb89 View Post

      Yes fear works. So does sex. So does appealing to ego. Its called pathos. You should check out this great 'marketing' writer named Aristotle.
      Sounds interesting. Does Aristotle have any copywriting training programs or a site where I can find out more? Thanks.
      Signature
      Marketing is not a battle of products. It is a battle of perceptions.
      - Jack Trout
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9340332].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Marvin Johnston
        Originally Posted by joe golfer View Post

        Sounds interesting. Does Aristotle have any copywriting training programs or a site where I can find out more? Thanks.
        Great stuff for falling asleep at night. My head still hurts from reading his stuff:

        http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Aristotle

        Marvin
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9340866].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author JamesDLayton
        Originally Posted by joe golfer View Post

        Sounds interesting. Does Aristotle have any copywriting training programs or a site where I can find out more? Thanks.

        HAHA laughed hard at that one
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9345755].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author sethczerepak
        Originally Posted by joe golfer View Post

        Sounds interesting. Does Aristotle have any copywriting training programs or a site where I can find out more? Thanks.


        DISCLAIMER: side effects might include sleep paralysis, demonic possession and puking up pea soup.
        Signature
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9359316].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
    Fear and Greed... the rest is pretty much wrapping paper.
    Signature
    Brian McLeod
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9340376].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author jjosephs
      Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod View Post

      Fear and Greed... the rest is pretty much wrapping paper.
      I'd argue that most greed is a fear-based means to an end.

      Fear of feeling bad cause you have less than such-and-such.

      Fear that you won't be good enough for "them" cause you have less.

      Fear that your personal worth = your financial worth.

      Fear that having less will shift focus to the massive hole in your bucket, whereas chasing paper is simpler and lets you ignore it for a while.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9340907].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author CopyMonster
      Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod View Post

      Fear and Greed... the rest is pretty much wrapping paper.
      From one guy who knows this lesson WELL...

      "Investors should remember that excitement and expenses are their enemies. And if they insist on trying to time their participation in equities, they should try to be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful." - Warren Buffett

      And based on his balance sheet, you'd say it's pretty solid advice.
      Signature
      Scary good...
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9341301].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Tan Shengg
    I agree that fear, greed and desire sell well. So when writing copy, we need to include 1 of those too.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9343297].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
      Originally Posted by Tan Shengg View Post

      I agree that fear, greed and desire sell well. So when writing copy, we need to include 1 of those too.
      "Including 1 of those" utterly misses the point, Tan.

      You "include" design elements on a page for a specific purpose... like a hero shot of the product when you introduce it in the copy or a caption under a photo.

      You don't "include" core aspects of your persuasion.
      Signature
      Brian McLeod
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9343319].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Tan Shengg
        Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod View Post

        "Including 1 of those" utterly misses the point, Tan.

        You "include" design elements on a page for a specific purpose... like a hero shot of the product when you introduce it in the copy or a caption under a photo.

        You don't "include" core aspects of your persuasion.
        I don't understand what you are trying to say. Perhaps could you explain yourself.
        Everyone know the easy way to sell is to include greed, fear and desire in your copy.

        Of course, I don't deny greed and fear sell better than desire. But if we have a good convincing copy, desire can also sell well.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9358773].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Memetics
          Originally Posted by Tan Shengg View Post

          I don't understand what you are trying to say. Perhaps could you explain yourself.
          Everyone know the easy way to sell is to include greed, fear and desire in your copy.

          Of course, I don't deny greed and fear sell better than desire. But if we have a good convincing copy, desire can also sell well.
          Greed and desire are pretty much the same thing; a drive to obtain something.

          Fear on the other hand is a drive to avoid losing something you already have. The mind measures avoiding losses as being worth 30% more to you than achieving like for like gains.

          To your distant ancestors; a certain meal now was better than risking going hungry for a possible two meals tomorrow which may not materialise.

          In perspective, fear will have more persuadability than all of the other emotions but it can't be used for many products or services due to it's importance to the brain - how would you use "fear" to sell something like washing up powder or ice lollies?

          It all depends on your niche and your demographic. A high income prospect will be more motivated by a fear frame than a low income prospect as they have more to lose.

          It's more of a guideline than a rule as there are exceptions like everything else, and there is also a conjecture called "hive mind theory" going the rounds now based on the evolutionary psychology principle of "group selection" which is looking very promising and may muddy the waters even more.

          A notable exception as an individual is concerned regarding loss aversion was the Australian billionaire Kerry Packer. Back in the 80's the Vegas casinos used to fight tooth and nail with each other to get his custom due to the huge sums he used to wager at the table.

          One night he was approached by a well known oil billionaire and asked "just what makes you so special Packer? I have a $100,000,000 in the bank, you're no more important than me"

          Packer looks the guy in the eye, puts down his drink and takes a coin from his pocket. "Ok I'll flip you for it" : He was serious...the other guy backed down. That's what made him special.

          If I was selling to him then no...fear would be a waste of time. Excitement...now that's a completely different matter.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9358964].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author sethczerepak
          Originally Posted by Tan Shengg View Post

          I don't understand what you are trying to say. Perhaps could you explain yourself.
          Everyone know the easy way to sell is to include greed, fear and desire in your copy.

          Of course, I don't deny greed and fear sell better than desire. But if we have a good convincing copy, desire can also sell well.
          4 Surprisingly Simple Steps to Develop a Reputation in this Forum
          • Read, Learn and Observe
          • Don't Poke the Bears
          • Offer expert advice only on things you're really an expert at
          • Don't Feed the Trolls (damn, guilty lol)
          Signature
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9359326].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
    Tan,

    Since you've decided to poke the bear...

    You're adding ZERO value to this forum right now.

    I recognize that you're enthusiastic about learning copywriting. That's great.

    If you want experts to talk shop here more frequently, thus giving you more good information that you can use - STOP DISTRACTING EVERYONE with inane, useless, annoying posts.

    The end.
    Signature
    Brian McLeod
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9358813].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
      Banned
      Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod View Post

      Tan,

      Since you've decided to poke the bear...

      You're adding ZERO value to this forum right now.

      I recognize that you're enthusiastic about learning copywriting. That's great.

      If you want experts to talk shop here more frequently, thus giving you more good information that you can use - STOP DISTRACTING EVERYONE with inane, useless, annoying posts.

      The end.
      And for effs sake get it right. It's not "a copy".
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9359267].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author pewpewpewmonkeys
    In perspective, fear will have more persuadability than all of the other emotions but it can't be used for many products or services due to it's importance to the brain - how would you use "fear" to sell something like washing up powder or ice lollies?
    "Don't be the only pathetic loser out there without our delicious nutritious ice lollies. Friends love them and yet you don't have any. Get your bamf ice lollies today and invite your friends over to play."

    A high income prospect will be more motivated by a fear frame than a low income prospect as they have more to lose.
    Meh. I've seen poor little old ladies fight over crappy ceramic figurines that cost less than a few dollars. People love spending money. It's euphoric.

    Besides, the "poor" in industrialized countries have it much much better than the rest of the world, and better than the majority of the world 100 years ago.
    A notable exception as an individual is concerned regarding loss aversion was the Australian billionaire Kerry Packer. ...If I was selling to him then no...fear would be a waste of time.
    Just because he's not afraid of spending money doesn't mean he doesn't experience fear or that fear can't be used to market to him.

    Money =/= 100% happiness.

    Where there is unhappiness there is doubt. Where there is doubt there is fear.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9363621].message }}

Trending Topics