Ad Infinitum S4E07: What Are You So Afraid Of? with Bethany Dwyer on Fear & Advertising (Halloween Special)

How do advertisers use fear... and where does persuasion become manipulation? Comedian and author Bethany Dwyer joins Stew Redwine for an Ad Infinitum Halloween special about the fears that shape what we create, what we believe, and what we buy. Bethany shares the experiences behind her book, Break Free from Fear: Eight Steps to Unlock Your Innate Superpowers, from the terror of bombing onstage to learning how to question her own worst thoughts. Then we listen to ads from Cigna Healthcare, Cloaked, 4imprint, and Northwest Registered Agent. Bethany grades each for persuasion and fear before we reveal their Audiolytics® scores. We debate believable host reads, forced emotion, and why an ad can score well while losing a listener's attention. Plus: Stew dresses as Red Guardian. Bethany has concerns about the beard. Ad Infinitum explores audio ads, how they work, and how to make them work better.