Hello fellow nerds,
It seems like it would be common sense that including drawbacks and side effects of products would make us less likely to buy them.
But is it actually so?
Let’s take a look at this study.
The study:
Researchers showed university students print ads for a prescription allergy med. Some students were asked to imagine a close family member suffering badly from allergies then they were shown ads. Ads featured either low, moderate, or high amounts of risk information about side effects.
🧪What they found:
Balanced risk is best:
Ads with a moderate (balanced) level of risk and benefit info got the most attention, best recall, and most positive brand attitudes.Too much risk backfires:
Overloading the ad with scary side effects made readers tune out, remember less, and actually like the brand less. They used “defensive” strategies like ignoring the message.
Why?
Too much risk info can backfire because it overwhelms people or makes them want to avoid the uncomfortable message.
Not enough feels kinda sus.
The right balance increases trust, without overwhelm.
Caveats
This study tested healthcare ads, so it might be different in other niches.
For people less engaged in the topic, risk information didn’t make much difference at all. They weren’t as motivated to process the details.
💡Takeaway
If you’re marketing health (or other high-stakes) products aim for a Goldilocks message: share both risks and benefits honestly, but don’t overload with risk info.
Stay curious my friend,
Ksenia (the chief nerd)
P.S. Thank you, it means a lot that marketers like you are reading my newsletter.
BTW you can reply to this email with your most burning ad psychology question. I’ll do the research and publish it in a future edition(if an answer exists)!
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Source: Kavadas, C., Katsanis, L. P., & LeBel, J. (2007). The effects of risk disclosure and ad involvement on consumers in DTC advertising. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 24(3), 171–179.