Can Fear Sell?

Can you name a strong brand that has succeeded because it has sold us on fear of something?  A brand with strong, sustained sales?

I can't think of one.

Sure, brands often try to differentiate from competitors and can be brutal in drawing the distinction -- think Apple vs. PC.  But I do not remember fear as a strategy that pays off.

And so as I look at the presidential race between McCain and Obama, I wonder about brand strategy.  Can McCain maintain his brand image as maverick and independent thinker and win the election without resorting to a strategy of fear?  And if he can't and must resort to fear, is this a winning strategy?  The only chance he may have to win is to differentiate himself by stirring up fear about a black man with a funny name running the country.  The temptation will be great.  And if Willy Horton is any guide, it could work.

This could be an amazing brand experiment: can John McCain win with his own brand going head to head with brand Obama?  Or will McCain need to play the race card, spread rumors, lies, and innuendo to boost sales (gather votes)?

In an arena where the ends often justifies the means, I suspect I know the answer.  If McCain goes with fear, I think he gains short term sales at the cost of the brand.  But if it gets you elected President, who cares right?  

Perhaps, though, his brand will be forever tarnished and incapable of its true potential as a result.  It is a choice to be made carefully.  The long term costs could be very high.