"Marketers spend billions trying to persuade consumers that a product is right for them. But our research shows that sometimes the most effective way to market something is to say that it isn't for them. In other words, effective marketing can mean discouraging the wrong customers rather than convincing everyone to buy. We call this "dissuasive framing." Instead of saying a product is perfect for everyone, a company is up front about who it might not be for."
"We ran experiments comparing ads with dissuasive versus persuasive framing. For example, one coffee ad said, "If you like dark roast, this is the coffee for you." Another said, "If you don't like dark roast, this isn't the coffee for you." Most marketers assume the first version would work better. But for people who prefer dark roast, the second message outperformed it."
Marketers spend large sums trying to persuade consumers that a product suits them. Sometimes the most effective approach is to discourage customers for whom the product is unsuitable. Dissuasion, labeled dissuasive framing, identifies who a product is not intended for and signals specialization. Experimental comparisons of dissuasive versus persuasive ad messages found that telling non‑fitting consumers not to buy boosted engagement and clicks among the target audience. Results held across product categories, including coffee, salsa, mattresses, and a real toothbrush Facebook campaign. Common explanations such as fear of missing out or reverse psychology were tested and ruled out.
Read at Fast Company
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