Using fear, hope and love in your marketing
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about what Seth Godin wrote on his blog over a year ago about using fear, hope and love in marketing.
In any discussion of marketing, when Seth Godin speaks, people listen. (Move over E. F. Hutton!….speaking of which, does anyone know what happened to E. F. Hutton, anyway?)
That’s why my proverbial ears perked up after reading Seth’s article about how fear, hope and love are our 3 great motivators to take action. Effective marketing, then, has to appeal to at least one of these three.
Like a mentioned, this article has been rolling around in my head, percolating, and I’m still wondering how to actually apply the points he made. So bear with me as I offer a few of my thoughts, and I hope you share yours, too. I’d love to engage you in the conversation.
What Seth says certainly isn’t a new concept.
I remember an old 1989 Tony Robbins cassette tape (remember cassettes?) program (called Personal Power!) where Tony asserts that everything we do boils down to two biologically-driven things: pain or pleasure. Everything that we do comes from our need to avoid pain (i.e., fear) or the desire to gain pleasure (or hope or love).
As human beings, we like to think we operate on a loftier plane, but the truth is that pain (or fear) is the greater motivator. Marketers know this and use this fear tactic often.
Let’s face it, fear sells. But so does love, according to Seth.
I admire the examples he gave of Google and Apple. It’s because they both early and quickly delivered on hope, which engendered a loyal client base, which in turn caused them to “graduate to love.”
Where I am puzzled is how to transfer this compelling topic to help real estate agents, high-commission sales professionals, and other solopreneurs to effectively apply it to their marketing.
If marketing is service to others, how do we appeal to their biological triggers in an ethical, authentic way?
For me, I realize that fear is the greater motivator, but I’m in the business of positive magnetism. I think Seth is of similar mindset.
His conclusion offers a clue. I wonder what you think (?)
“. . . Brands that are loved usually start the process by loving their customers in advance.
The easiest way to build a brand is to sell fear. The best way, though, may be to deliver on hope while aiming for love…”
What say you?
I believe that fear marketing is what most marketing is based on and although it works I don’t want to promote a fear mentality. I believe that building on hope and love is a longer process but it builds a stronger foundation for business and life. As to how to use it effectively….still learning that process but I think it definately starts with approaching business with the concept that your business is the vehicle that allows you to serve others in the world with your skills and talents.
Trina, thank you for taking time to thoughtfully comment.
I agree with you: hope and love feels more authentic to me than appealing to people’s fears……although sometimes relief from a certain fear may be what our ideal clients are hoping for.
You make the point that it starts with service to others, which I believe is Seth’s point when he offers that successful companies benefit “by loving their customers in advance.”
To graduate to love, Seth says, we need to first deliver on hope. I think that’s why it’s so important to understand our clients and to know them intimately so that we can authentically and consistently deliver what they want and how they want it.
The absolute easiest way to do this is to ask them!
I think fear can be implied by offering a loving solution. For instance, in marketing to grandparents, I can say something like “Here’s a great way to connect with your grandkids who live far away.” The implication is that connection can be a concern, but we’ve got an easy (versus, difficult) answer. My 2 cent!
Hi Linda,
I see what you mean, though I’m not sure you are really appealing to fear, unless your marketing gives the impression that if grandparents do not purchase your product, they will not be able to connect with the grandchildren…..or worse, will alienate their grandchildren.
I think of fear in relation to moving (or wanting to move) away from something scary or undesirable (The amygdala’s flight or fight response), whereas hope is something we move (or want to move) toward.
Even the language you use, offering the promise of ‘connection’ is the language of hope rather than that of fear.
[...] As I mentioned on this blog a year ago, the thought leader in the realm of business, sales, and marketing that he is makes Seth Godin the proverbial E. F. Hutton of our day. [...]