Stress. We love stress. We love to hate stress. Complaining about being stressed, reading research on how stress is impacting our health, looking for ways to cope with stress… stress is a weekly if not daily topic in most people’s lives. One that many of us seem to think we understand. 

In the latest episode of Hidden Brain (a podcast that explores human behavior and the science behind the unconscious) host Shankar Vedantam interviews psychologist Alia Crum, Ph.D. about this very thing — our perception of stress. At the heart of the discussion is this: is stress always bad, or can we reframe “stress” as something good…something motivating? 

What’s the Problem?

In marketing (and in all business, really) you aim to identify the problem that your consumer is facing and then show them how product/service/business can solve it. Problems = stress. And we know that stress has a direct impact on consumer behavior. 

But what if instead of playing up the negative feelings of stress and fear-mongering, you used marketing efforts to reframe it? What could this look like? 

Marketing in a New Frame

Instead of pitching your product or service as a magic elixir or “the ONLY way to ever be happy,” or even spending much of your pitch emphasizing the depths of the core problem, whatever it may be, what if you acknowledged the reality of the stress as a signal, a sign of something worthwhile? 

Now, this doesn’t work for a problem or stressor that needs full elimination (bugs, acne…) but for a problem like needing additional education to succeed, or needing to get a better hold on one’s health, or wanting to build a garden but not knowing how… this might be the answer to creating a differentiating approach. 

This could look like marketing that:

• Avoids fear-based tactics in favor of a solutions-oriented sentiment
• Names the problem without inflating it
• Leads with empathy
• Leans into accessibility 

Your marketing campaigns, then, might capture a tone of voice that is:

• Warm
• Positive
• Empowering
• Compassionate
• Supportive

Embrace The Learning State

In all of those cases, some of the stress the consumer is experiencing is caused by being in a state of learning — of not yet having a full grasp of all the knowledge or tools needed to achieve the goals. But that’s where you come in. You are marketing a way to aid the journey – you’re a partner in the path to achieving the goal. 

In the Hidden Brain interview, ​​Dr. Crum talks about her aha-moment, when she was working late in the graduate school library and a friend, acknowledging her stress, said (paraphrasing) “Ah, it’s a cold, dark night on the side of Everest.” Crum interprets this to mean that the work she is engaged in is stressful, yes. But isn’t it supposed to be? Graduate school was challenging, but it was also rewarding and moments of stress were part of the process. 

If you are marketing a service, product or business that meets people in moments of stress that are part of a larger goal, you can use that nugget of truth from Crum’s aha moment and help your consumers see the issue in front of them as just ONE night on the journey to Everest’s peak — one you can help them endure. 

Tell a Story

In that simple sentence, Dr. Crum’s friend told a compelling story, painted a scene and conveyed a complex set of realities. Storytelling is and should always be a big part of marketing strategy. So that’s not new. But storytelling that aims to reframe stress in this interesting and positive way seems to be a different way of doing it.

What are some good examples of brand’s doing this well? A few come to mind:

• We Can Do IT – University of Phoenix: Phoenix is known in the education space for its moving commercial spots, but this is one of their most succinct and easy to follow stories yet. In just 30 seconds, you see the character’s stress build but push forward into a new goal. It’s not that it will be easy, and in fact, it might start out because something bad happened (a layoff). But transforming your career through education will be worth it.

• How-To Guides from Home Depot’s Garden Center: Each tutorial includes a difficulty meter that acknowledges upfront how hard or easy it will be to attempt, as well as an estimated time to completion. You’re taught what to do and what tools to use and start to see Home Depot as not just a retail location but a resource, a partner in getting to your goals. 

• Tiny Dancer, John Lewis Home Insurance: Owning a home + being a parent both come with major stressors. Insurance might often be associated with stress/negative events. But this spot showcases the immense joy and privilege that comes with those things as well — the stress that’s part of something greater. “If it matters to you, it matters to us,” they say.

There’s a part 2 to this Hidden Brain episode coming out soon. Join me in listening to see how else this conversation might shift our mindset when it comes to marketing…