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By Michelle Lopez
A new study from FIU Business finds that telling consumers a product is not for them may actually increase its appeal among target customers.
Contrary to conventional marketing wisdom, the findings, forthcoming in the Journal of Consumer Research, show that what the researchers call "dissuasive framing," messages that highlight who a product is not for, can outperform traditional persuasive messaging in certain situations. This new study challenges a foundational belief in marketing: that persuasive messages aimed directly at target customers are the most effective.
Jaclyn Tanenbaum, associate teaching professor of marketing and logistics at FIU Business and one of the researchers, found that in many cases, the opposite is true. In a series of eight experiments involving products ranging from coffee and salsa to mattresses and toothbrushes, she and her colleagues discovered that dissuasive framing can be more persuasive to the target audience.
For example, consider two versions of an ad for dark roast coffee. One reads, "If you like dark roast coffee, this is the coffee for you." The other says, "If you don't like dark roast coffee, this is not the coffee for you." Most marketing professionals surveyed said the first version would be more effective. But the second one performed better among consumers who prefer dark coffee.
Why? Tanenbaum says it comes down to what she and her colleagues call "target specificity," a new marketing concept introduced in this research.
"When people see a product framed as not being for everyone, they infer that it's more specialized," Tanenbaum explained.
Ads from the study."That makes the product feel like a better fit for those with product preferences that match the product offering."
The effect held across numerous product types and messaging formats, including a real-world Facebook ad campaign for a toothbrush company. In that campaign, the dissuasive version of the ad resulted in higher click-through and engagement rates than the persuasive version, even though both used the same image and copy aside from either the persuasive or dissuasive wording in the headline.
Tanenbaum emphasizes that the research had to carefully rule out other explanations. Could it be about reverse psychology? Wanting what you can't have? Feeling excluded?
"We tested those theories and ruled them out," Tanenbaum said. "What consistently drove consumer response was how targeted they felt the product was."
The findings reframe widely taught marketing practices and offer a simple but effective tactic for brands trying to reach specific audiences in crowded marketplaces.
"Dissuading the wrong people doesn't mean you're turning customers away," said Tanenbaum. "It may actually help the right ones feel like your product was made just for them."
The takeaway for business leaders? Sometimes, saying "this isn't for you" might be the best way to reach the customers who will love what you're offering.
Tanenbaum conducted the study with Karen Anne Wallach of the University of Alabama in Huntsville and Sean Blair of Georgetown University.
