A recent study published in the Journal of Consumer Research has found that marketing messages which state who a product is not for—an approach called “dissuasive framing”—can be more effective than traditional persuasive messaging for certain audiences. This finding runs counter to the longstanding belief in marketing that directly persuasive messages are most successful at connecting with target customers.
The research was conducted by Jaclyn Tanenbaum, associate teaching professor of marketing and logistics at Florida International University (FIU) Business, along with Karen Anne Wallach from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and Sean Blair from Georgetown University. Through eight experiments involving various products such as coffee, salsa, mattresses, and toothbrushes, the researchers observed that dissuasive framing could outperform conventional persuasive messaging among consumers who fit the intended market segment.
One experiment compared two advertisements for dark roast coffee: one saying “If you like dark roast coffee, this is the coffee for you,” and another stating “If you don’t like dark roast coffee, this is not the coffee for you.” Marketing professionals expected the first message to work better. However, results showed that consumers who prefer dark roast responded more favorably to the second message.
“What makes this research so interesting is both messages are essentially saying the same thing,” Tanenbaum said. “But the way we say it is different. What the dissuasive frame focuses on is the potential mismatch of consumer preferences and the product attributes.”
Tanenbaum explained that their findings introduce a new concept called “target specificity.” She said, “When people see a product framed as not being for everyone, they infer that it’s more specialized. That makes the product feel like a better fit for those with product preferences that match the product offering.”
The effect remained consistent across different products and advertising formats. In one real-world test involving a Facebook ad campaign for a toothbrush company, an ad using dissuasive wording achieved higher click-through and engagement rates than its persuasive counterpart, despite both ads sharing identical images and nearly identical copy except for their headlines.
To ensure accuracy, Tanenbaum noted that alternative explanations were tested and ruled out. “We tested those theories and ruled them out,” she said. “What consistently drove consumer response was how targeted they felt the product was.”
The study’s findings suggest marketers may benefit from reconsidering standard practices when seeking to engage specific groups in competitive markets.
“Dissuading the wrong people doesn’t mean you’re turning customers away,” Tanenbaum said. “It may actually help the right ones feel like your product was made just for them.”
She concluded with advice to business leaders: Sometimes saying “this isn’t for you” might be an effective strategy to attract ideal customers.
