Sensationalism and heightened drama (using fear, a need to conform and be accepted by a group, wanting to feel/ desired, wanting to feel confident/ heroic, wanting to be in total control of one's self and one's environment -- including the ambient people within our territorial proximity) are messaging and selling tools.
Products and services promulgating claims of looking younger, being stronger, attracting others, appearing more intelligent generally sell well to the folks a the top of the IQ Bell Curve, and to its right, with a few closet superhero wannabes on the high IQ left tail of the curve.
It relates to a marketing recipe of Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs, The Sum Of All Fears, and a persistent childhood fantasy of wanted to be loved and feared [paradoxical, eh?]. But mostly, sensationalism appeals to consumers who want power. They want lots of it, they want it now and they will pay to have it express shipped. People want POWER.
Every one of my colleagues, friends, readers and followers of The Mad Marketing Tactics Blog has, at one time or another received a long-scrolling advertisement, loaded with superlative-infused testimonials about a limited time only offer of some product that's "soon to be taken off the shelves," "too powerful to advertise (i.e., it makes the NSA, CIA, DIA and FBI uncomfortable!)," "been kept secret for centuries by some world-dominating society." or is "in very limited supply." The writer or speaker is usually some maverick who broke ranks with his secret society/ government agency/ powerful corporate position in order to "level the playing field" to try to atone for years of injustice, blah, blah, blah...
And since we all harbor a belief in some panacea, some simple but elusive secret to absolute power over ourselves and others, we order the product or service. We still, deep inside, want to be invincible superheroes. Even though we laugh at ourselves on an intellectual level, the child within us demands a chance to dominate -- to feel the power -- to taste greatness.
Sensationalism generally works best when:
1) the price point is less than $50.00;
2) it is advertised to insomniacs and biz opp subscriber lists;
3) it has a faint element of truth to it;
4) it conjures up powerful visual imagery;
5) it sounds exaggerated, but brings to mind an urban legend or something remotely credible which we have heard about.
Following is a great example. I don't endorse the company or the product, but the ad itself converts dramatically (without giving you the details of their email list-qualifying criteria) -- between 5% - 7% of its recipients become purchasers. Compare that with any typical opt-in email campaign where a 2% conversion rate is considered the industry standard.
---------------
“It’s like carrying around your own personal sledgehammers...”
The Secret Behind
The Mysterious
Tai Chi “Death Blow”
Finally Revealed!
At Last! The Lid Has Been Blown
Off
The Ancient Tai Chi "Heavy Hand" Method
To
Snapping Bones... Exploding Internal Organs...
Even
KILLING An Opponent – With Nothing More Than
A
Single (Almost Innocent Looking) Bare Handed Strike!
December 06, 2012
From: Si Gung Clear, Tai Chi Expert
To: "Hotlist" Customer
If I were to fight and kill someone on
the street today, I’d likely be charged with possessing
and carrying a deadly weapon. That "deadly weapon" would
be nothing more than...
My Bare Hands.
Because my lethal Tai
Chi “Heavy
Hand” striking
skills can easily snap through the arm of a huge man,
or blast his internal organs to a heap of bleeding jelly,
or explode his eyeballs like
raw eggs -- with just one
simple deft stroke of my hand.
This is no joke.
---------------Sensationalism sells because even the most cynical people have a deep-seated belief in some sort of magic, a panacea or the alchemist's Philosopher Stone. It's a part of Human cerebral construction (with a bit of limbic system activity thrown in) that is a masterful marketer's point of insertion. Use it. It's powerful!
The technique is more "mass" than "class," but that doesn't matter if you principle interest is generating profits rapidly and harmlessly.
Thank you for reading retweeting and for giving me a fabulous audience to educate and to entertain.
Douglas E. Castle
The CrowdFunding Incubator Blog
The Crowd Funding RSS Feeds Blog
The CFI CrowdFunding Incubator Blog
#MadMarketing
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