Fear is a powerful and primal human emotion, deeply ingrained in our psyche from primordial times.

Using strong emotions in general, like fear, sadness and joy is one of the best ways to instantly engage your audience with your marketing campaign.

As such, it’s also a useful tool when looking into the psychology of marketing and one that every agency should constantly be using.

But, is it a shady way to advertise? Is it exploitative?   

By understanding the psychology of fear, businesses can create compelling marketing campaigns that resonate with consumers on a primal and base level.

Meanwhile, moral actors, like health services, can use the fear of consequences to turn people away from smoking or other unhealthy behaviours.

Here’s a quick rundown of fear-based marketing…

The fear factor: How it works

The use of fear in marketing revolves around the psychology of threat perception.

You’ve probably heard that when individuals perceive a threat, their brains activate the ‘fight or flight’ response.

This heightened state of awareness can be harnessed to draw attention to a product, service, or cause and instantly hook your potential customers.

It is a super power in attention grabbing.

Types of fear marketers use

Marketers typically leverage two main types of fear:

• Fear of missing out (FOMO): This fear capitalises on the notion that people are afraid of missing out on something valuable. By emphasising scarcity or time-limited offers, businesses trigger FOMO and motivate quick action.
• Fear of consequences: This approach focuses on highlighting the potential negative outcomes if a consumer doesn’t take a specific action. For example, marketing a security system by emphasising the fear of burglary. Or marketing a solicitor’s firm by explaining how failing to write a Will might leave your family with nothing to inherit.

The balance of fear

While fear can be a potent motivator, it should be used carefully.

Excessive fear can lead to negative brand associations, or consumers may disengage from the message entirely if they think you are trying to intimidate them.

It should also be used morally – immoral actions might gain you short-term leads but a bad reputation will almost always lose long-term, loyal customers.

Striking the right balance is key to leveraging the powerful emotion of fear – just as with any other emotion.

It is also essential to offer a solution or a way to mitigate the fear you create with your call to action.

Consumers should be left with a sense of empowerment and control through your messaging, not a feeling of helplessness.

This is a delicate balance, but when executed correctly, it can drive action and engagement.

Examples of fear-based marketing

• Health campaigns highlighting the dangers of smoking or unhealthy eating.
• Security systems focusing on the fear of break-ins.
• Urgent calls to action during a limited-time sale (we have all seen those ticking clocks at the top of an e-commerce website warning us of a deal ending soon).
• Life insurance companies warning of the financial repercussions of your death on your family.
• Diet and weight-loss campaigns, warning of the negative effects of obesity.

When used with care and consideration, fear can be a compelling tool for driving consumer behaviour.

By tapping into the primal emotion of fear, businesses can create connections with their audience and motivate action, in addition to offering solutions and a sense of empowerment through their product or brand.

Utilising fear is a delicate balance that, when executed effectively, can yield impressive results.

Just remember, make your product the saviour, as much as you possibly can.

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