Fear appeals or ’shock tactics’ have been a staple of social marketing programmes since before the discipline existed. Despite a wealth of research casting doubt on its effectiveness, the approach continues to prove popular amongst commissioners and practitioners. (Over just the last two months the The Hub has been called upon to contributed to a number of radio shows discussing this very issue, in relation to the UK government’s recent binge drinking campaign and the decision to incorporate graphic images onto cigarette packets

The appeal of the shock tactics approach is understandable for a number of reasons: Read more