Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We’re breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use.

In this Halloween special, Elena and Rob explore the impact of fear-based messaging in advertising and public health campaigns. They discuss when fear appeals are most effective and how to strike the right balance.

Topics covered:   

• [01:00] "Appealing to Fear: A Meta-Analysis of Fear Appeal Effectiveness and Theories"
• [02:35] Real-world examples of fear-based advertising
• [05:10] Short-term activation vs. long-term branding with fear appeals
• [08:40] The importance of efficacy statements in fear-based messages
• [09:50] Linear vs. curvilinear models of fear appeal effectiveness
• [10:30] How audience characteristics impact fear appeal success 

 





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Resources: 
Tannenbaum, M. B., Hepler, J., Zimmerman, R. S., Saul, L., Jacobs, S., Wilson, K., & Albarracin, D. (2015). Appealing to fear: A meta-analysis of fear appeal effectiveness and theories. *Psychological Bulletin*, 141(6), 1178–1204. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0039729  
 

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