What Does Fear Mean To You?

Fear has kept humanity alive for millennia. As a primordial force within us, it exerts a powerful influence over our behaviour. It triggers the production of psychoactive chemicals and gives us the strength to run or fight.

So when it comes to engaging your audience, fear is the last thing you want them to feel, right?

Actually no. Harnessing this primordial force can reap you great rewards.

Keeping yourself and your family safe has been a top priority for most since time immemorial. When Volvo revolutionized car safety from the mid ’50s onwards, they had no qualms using fear to show their cars could save lives. With the creation of increasingly safer cars and the measured tactful use of fear, Volvo has been a positive influence for all road users.

Volvo cleverly use fear in a self-depreciating way.

Corsodyl, a less scrupulous user of fear, has placed fear front and center in their upsetting but effective adverts. Corsodyl is using fear to speak a language everybody can understand. This shared fearful experience is best shown in their downright creepy losing teeth ad. This common dream will strike a chord for a lot of people. Whilst distressing, tapping into a shared experience like this is a great way to ensure your message is relatable.

However because their messaging is so fear-based, Corsodyl run the risk of potential customers seeing through their marketing narrative. There’s so much fear that it becomes untrustworthy and almost funny.

In Conclusion:

Fear does not necessarily have a negative impact on engagement. It can be used to have the change audience behavior in a positive way. It has a unique and powerful physical effect on the body. Because of this realness it can be effective at expressing important agendas and real-world issues.