Yesterday I heard a radio spot that gave me "the vapors", as they say around here. What startled me was an emphatic appeal to fear. The announcer made clear that without his product, the listener risked his or her life. Wow. This dredged up memories of other advertising I have seen or hear over the years that prevailed on fear and negative emotions as the sell impetus. To which I say, STOP. Please!
Sure, I know it's an easy way to the wallet. Make someone feel insecure or terrified. Done with enough force it will always get results. But is that the right strategy? I would think down inside the consumer could build up resentment to any producer who connects only on the darker side. And then, if the right competitor comes along... poof. End of relationship. My psychologist friends would call such a "bond" an abusive relationship. That's never going to end well.
Every day of the week I will appeal to something better. We pride ourselves on offering products and services that solve problems, or make someone feel better about him- or herself. Any pitch can be crafted to do this. Our messages should always be about our passion for this mission and to create warm emotions that genuinely connect the producer and consumer.
There can be some challenges to advertising this way. For example, there is the appeal to vanity that isn't terrifically dignified and can even engender some of that negative material. I'll discuss that next week in an upcoming post. But let's just say this would still be a better thing than scaring the willies out of the consumer. And that's all you want at the end of the day.
When you speak about your products and services, how are you appealing to the prospect?
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