Optimism and Pessimism ““ Why choose one?
I remember, quite a few years ago, I was in a restaurant with a group of friends who were talking about optimism and pessimism and using the old “glass half empty or half full”analogy. Optimism has been my choice for 99% of my life. But I didn’t like the either/or debate. My thought was”if you’re truly an optimist, and you see a glass with water at the halfway mark, you’ll just be grateful to have the water. You won’t care whether the glass is half empty or half full.
When it comes to advertising, optimism and pessimism can both work for you.
Companies use both all the time. Like when politicians can’t figure out how to work within a budget. You’ll hear commercials saying things like, “In economic hard times like these, when every penny counts, our product will save you time AND money.”
Or how about when you read the latest news and see how murder is rampant? You’ll probably notice more ads and commercials touting the latest advances in home security.
It just makes good sense (and dollars) to play to the pessimism and fears of the buying public. That might sound harsh, but it sure works.
And it’s not all bad news out there.
And companies like Apple and Amazon prove how optimism can be a powerful advertising tool. Apple uses lots of light in their ads. And Amazon even has a smile in their logo. When you watch their “simple”commercials and listen to the light-hearted background music, you’re drawn into feelings like how”
- Technology makes your life easier
- Wonderful it feels to walk barefoot in a field of grass”
- Love can erase tears
- Dreamers make the world a better place
So, whether you manufacture balloons or bullets, you can advertise with both optimism and pessimism. It’s just a matter of what your audience responds to and why. Keep in touch with them. Ask them questions. And show them how much you care. That kind of touchy feely stuff works. Ain’t it awful? Need some help?
Stay tuned,
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