Drug ads often warn of serious side effects, from nausea and
bleeding to blindness, even death. New research suggests that, rather than
scaring consumers away, these warnings can improve consumers’ opinions and
increase product sales when there is a delay between seeing the ad and deciding
to buy or consume the product.
“Messages that warn consumers about potentially harmful side
effects — presumably with the intent to nudge them to act more cautiously — can
ironically backfire,” says psychological scientist Ziv Carmon of INSEAD in
Singapore.