Ravi, a college student, keeps an internet schedule for about 2 hours a day. While he started to scroll his Instagram feed, a post suddenly popped up and started to give warning signs about the germs in the places where we have been and the new latest iPhone model plus the gadget, at first, he thought it was just an Ad but later on he started to feel fear and insecure about the germs and the latest model which all his friends have and he don’t. So, he started to ask his parent to buy him a new iPhone. Feels familiar, right? Everyone has gone through this situation in their life. The Brands are pros in tapping our fears and insecurities to rake in the cash.
This situation highlights a crucial area of modern psychology called consumer psychology. How do our emotions, beliefs, and perceptions affect buying behaviour? Advertisers use carefully designed psychological strategies to trigger emotional responses, influencing the way consumers think and act. We can notice that we as consumers don’t just buy products, we buy the meanings and emotional experiences attached to them. In Ravi’s case, his reaction to the ad wasn’t simply about wanting a phone; it was the emotional and social value attached to owning that phone.
Read More: Out of Stock in 18 Minutes: The Consumer Psychology behind Apple’s “Next Big Thing”
Emotional Triggers in Advertising
Brands know that fear and insecurity are powerful motivators for buying or selling their products to us. During the COVID-19 pandemic, advertisements for sanitisers, disinfectants, masks and “immunity boosters” didn’t just focus on cleanliness, they focused on fear. So when people started to get afraid, they looked for safety, and companies use that instinct to sell reassurance in the form of a product. Similarly, beauty and fitness industries often use social insecurity, making people believe they’re not thin, fair, or fit enough. Allowing them to sell creams, supplements, or gym memberships. Consumers don’t just buy products; they buy meanings and emotional experiences attached to them. (Solomon (2018)).
Psychological Theories Behind It
Psychological theories explain exactly how these tactics work on us as consumers:
1. Fear Appeal Theory
This theory explains how our fear is used to motivate action. Ads often exaggerate risks like germs, pollution, or wrinkles and then position their product as the right “solution.” For instance, a sanitiser ad might say, “Protect your family from invisible dangers.” This creates an internal fear, leading to buying that product.
2. The Social Comparison Theory
According to this theory, people constantly compare themselves to others. Seeing peers looking healthier, more successful, or more attractive makes individuals feel insecure and pushes them to buy products to close that “gap.” According to the research study, it is said that Social media is one of the sources that has made this effect even stronger, with influencers constantly showcasing their idealised lifestyles (Vogel et al., 2014).
3. The Classical Conditioning theory
This theory suggests that some advertisers link positive emotions to their products, such as safety, beauty, or confidence and create a way for consumers to buy the products. When you repeatedly see happy, healthy people using a particular brand, your brain might start to associate those positive emotions with the product itself and leading you to buy the product.
Read More: Are Positive Emotions Just Fleeting Joy or Do They Have Lasting Benefits?
4. The FOMO Effect
Fear of missing out (FOMO) is another psychological trigger, and that is a commonly spoken one. Brands use phrases like “limited edition,” “exclusive offer,” or “trending now” to create anxiety that others will get ahead if you don’t act quickly.
Psychological Impact on Consumers (WE)
These marketing strategies are said to be effective, but they can also cause harm and emotional well-being. It is shown that repeated exposure to a fear-based advertisement increases anxiety, low self-esteem, and materialistic attitudes (Richins, 2017). People begin to associate their self-worth with what they own, rather than who they are. In Ravi’s case, the ad didn’t just sell him a phone; it convinced him that without it, he was less or not accepted in the modern world. This is how these advertisements can quietly reshape or change our sense of identity and self-worth.
Ethical Concerns and Awareness towards Consumers
Psychologists and culturalists often question the morality of emotional manipulation in advertising. Marketing strategies that exploit our vulnerabilities (weaknesses ) blur the line between persuasion and manipulation. While fear-based marketing increases sales, it also raises concerns about mental health and consumer autonomy. (O’Shaughnessy and O’Shaughnessy, 2021). Building media literacy (which means the ability to critically analyse and question advertisements )is essential in society. Instead of reacting emotionally to every ad, we as consumers should ask ourselves, “Do I really need this, or am I just scared not to have it?”
Conclusion
Advertising is no longer just about selling products; it’s about selling emotions. Brands have learned to profit from us, from our fears, our insecurities, and our longing for acceptance. Understanding these tactics can help us become more mindful. And after all, awareness is the first step toward control. When we recognise the manipulation, we take back the power, and our health, happiness, and peace of mind stop being for sale.
FAQs
1. Why do brands use fear in ads? Is it a tactic or awareness?
Brands use fear to grab attention, which makes people act quickly, and it pushes them to buy the product for safety or reassurance. Some say they create awareness, and some don’t; it differs for everyone.
2. Do these ads really affect our minds? Is it true?
Yes, these ads can really affect our minds without even realising it. Emotional ads can make us feel anxious or left out, leading to impulse buying. For example, an ad can create the fear of germs around us, leading to the sanitiser.
3. Give me some examples of fear-based ads?
A few fear-based ads, such as Sanitiser, fairness creams, and “immunity booster” ads, often use fear or insecurity to sell their products.
4. How can we avoid being influenced?
So to avoid ourselves, we should think before buying, ask yourself if you need it or if the ad just made you feel insecure.
5. “Is using fear in marketing ethical or not?”- explain this phrase?
The fear is used in the ads, as it creates an awareness in society to get better health, safety and security and not when it manipulates the consumers’ emotions for profit.
References +
Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7(2), 117–140.
Kaur, R., & Malik, A. (2021). Consumer behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic: Impact of fear on purchase decisions. Journal of Consumer Research, 48(3), 245–259.
O’Shaughnessy, J., & O’Shaughnessy, N. J. (2021). The marketing power of emotion. Routledge.
Pavlov, I. P. (1927). Conditioned reflexes. Oxford University Press.
Przybylski, A. K., Murayama, K., DeHaan, C. R., & Gladwell, V. (2013). Motivational, emotional, and behavioural correlates of fear of missing out. Computers in Human Behaviour, 29(4), 1841–1848.
Richins, M. L. (2017). Materialism, transformation expectations, and spending: Implications for credit use. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 36(2), 197–210.
Rogers, R. W. (1975). A protection motivation theory of fear appeals and attitude change. Journal of Psychology, 91(1), 93–114.
Solomon, M. R. (2018). Consumer behaviour: Buying, having, and being. Pearson Education.
Vogel, E. A., Rose, J. P., Roberts, L. R., & Eckles, K. (2014). Social comparison, social media, and self-esteem. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 3(4), 206–222.
