Pre-1984, a small number of people (so I’m told) were scared of the year 1984.

The reason?

George Orwell’s book of the same name, where he predicted a nightmarish world where Big Brother is always watching, speech is censored, Truth is Lies, and Lies are Truth, and every aspect of our lives are ruled by elites at the top.

Of course, 1984 came and went.

And most of this, it seemed, didn’t come to pass.

(Although writing this in 2024, it certainly looks like we’ve gone downhill since).

wipes sweat off forehead

Phew.

But little did they know, another dystopia had been taking root all this time. It wasn’t Orwell’s 1984, it was Huxley’s Brave New World, where instead of being ruled by pain, people don’t need to be ruled at all.. you just make ‘em do what you want with pleasure instead.

Case in point:

Back when people were under the communist “boot”, people fought (and died) against all forms of Big Brother watching. If one day, Mr. Bezmenov from the Ministry of Truth chapped your door, and asked if you’d be willing to put a device which listened to you 24/7, you wouldn’t’ve been too thrilled.

But nowadays?

People will wait outside stores till midnight and fork over weeks of wages for Alexas, and iPhones, and IOT wearables, which do the exact same thing.

Yes…

It’s much easier to get people to do things willingly with pleasure.

It’s like the old farmer’s tale, where a farmer’s trying to push a pig into a pen, and no amount of huffing and puffing can move it. The farmer’s wife then comes along, throws an apple into the pen, and the pig happily trots off.

At this point, you might be thinking,

“Ok, I need to promise my prospects pleasure in my marketing.”

Undoubtedly true.

But let me drop a spanner in the works:

Yes, people are easily swayed by pleasure (which is why you should be suspicious when you’re offered it), but people only change behaviours to escape pain. Especially, when said behaviour change is difficult.

Do people go to the gym for pleasure?

Do people make themselves turmeric shots for pleasure?

Do people give up smoking, or pornography, or video games for pleasure?

No.

Pleasure – particularly short-term – traps people in lifestyles they come to regret. But if you want to market a product that helps them escape that lifestyle (which I sincerely hope your product does), in general, only pain will wake your prospect up.

And if you want to learn how to use this ethically?

Grab my free report – the 7 CRIMES OF EMAIL MARKETING – and feast your eyes on a whole chapter dedicated to this topic.

To get it, just sign up to my email list here:

https://eo.berserkermail.com/bazinga

Iain