85% Succeed or 15% Struggle? The Hidden Power of Framing in Marketing
- Amelia Er
- Aug 6
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 19
When choosing between these two titles, which one grabs your attention more?
85% Succeed in Life After Reading This Article
15% Struggle to Find Success Even with The Help of This Article
Most of us naturally prefer to hear the positive side of things, so the first headline often draws more readers. But here’s the twist: negative framing can be just as powerful when used wisely. Depending on the situation, focusing on the struggles can actually deliver surprising results!
Framing is all about how you present information, rather than the information itself. It’s a clever way of shaping how people see things and subtly guiding their decisions. Marketers use this technique to steer perceptions and lead audiences toward a desired point of view. When done right, it’s like giving your audience a gentle nudge in exactly the right direction.
Both positive and negative framing — often known as goal framing — play an important role in marketing. The real secret isn’t choosing between them, but knowing when and how to use each to create the strongest impact.
Beyond goal framing, there are plenty of other powerful framing techniques you can use to level up your marketing game. These include Risky Choice Framing, Attribute Framing, Subcategory Framing, and Cognitive Load Framing. Curious to see what they are and how they work? Let’s dive in and explore how to put them into action!
Risky Choice Framing
People’s decisions are often shaped by how options involving risk are presented, typically framed in terms of gains or losses. This makes risky choice framing one of the most commonly used framing methods. When faced with positively framed messages, we’re more likely to choose options that feel safer. On the flip side, when messages are framed negatively, we tend to become more focused on avoiding potential losses.
Imagine you’re buying a new smartphone:
Option 1: Pay $800 for the phone only.
Option 2: Pay $850 for the phone plus an extended warranty that covers accidental damage.
Even though the extra $50 might never “pay off” if nothing happens, many people choose it because it feels safer. This is because it reduces the risk of having to pay hundreds more if the phone breaks.
This shows how framing works: by adding a small fallback cost, you make the risky option feel safer. This increases the chance that customers will spend more than they planned.
Attribute Framing
Attribute framing isn’t about giving options; it’s about how you present a product’s features and how that impacts perception. People respond better to positive framing than negative when it comes to attribute framing. Simply associating a product with something positive can significantly boost how it’s perceived. That’s why marketers should highlight positive claims about a single feature to make their products more appealing.
For example, if you run a snack brand, instead of highlighting that your chips contain 10% fat, you could emphasize that they are 90% fat‑free. Positive framing makes the product feel healthier and more appealing, while directly mentioning the fat content could turn health‑conscious shoppers away. It’s all about presenting the same fact in a way that sounds more attractive!
Goal Framing
Another powerful marketing strategy worth knowing is goal framing. It’s all about guiding people’s focus by highlighting the outcomes of their choices. You can either show the positive results of taking action (positive framing) or emphasize what they’ll lose out on if they don’t (negative framing).
Both approaches encourage the same action, but through different motivations. However, negative framing, which highlights the consequences of not acting, tends to work better for achieving marketing goals.
Take fitness marketing as an example. Instead of just highlighting how exercising can help you look better, it’s often more effective to warn about the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle. Pointing out what people might lose tends to grab attention more than what they could gain, and it motivates them to take action.
Subcategory Framing
Framing your subcategory the right way can completely change how buyers see your brand. It gives you control over which brands you’re compared to, not just how you talk about your own benefits. The key is to find points of comparison that work in your favor and present them in a way that’s both convincing and memorable.
Imagine you’re launching a new type of bottled tea. Instead of just being “green tea” or “herbal tea,” you frame it as:
“The first-ever sparkling probiotic tea brewed with wild herbs”
This framing separates your product from regular iced teas or kombucha, appealing to health-conscious consumers who also want something fizzy, refreshing, and premium — essentially positioning it as a healthy alternative to soda that’s also sophisticated.
Cognitive Load Framing
Don’t overwhelm consumers with too much complicated information! People generally prefer information that’s quick and easy to digest when making decisions. Options that are framed simply and clearly are likely to be favored over those that are hard to understand. Our brains naturally want to use less thinking power for quicker decisions.
So, if your brand offers food deliveries, here’s a clear example of which option would likely appeal more to consumers:
“Order meals, track deliveries in real time, collect loyalty points, rate restaurants, save favorite dishes, and discover local offers.”
“Order meals fast and easy.”
The second option feels cleaner and less overwhelming — just what busy customers want to see.
Just like photographers learn to frame their shots to make them more appealing, marketers can do the same with their content. Whether it's through one of the five framing techniques we’ve covered — Risky Choice Framing, Attribute Framing, Goal Framing, Subcategory Framing, or Cognitive Load Framing — getting the framing right can really level up your marketing game.
When used the right way, these techniques can help your message pop and grab attention. It’s all about showing your product or service in a way that clicks with your audience and pushes them to take action. So, why not add framing to your marketing playbook and see the difference it can make?
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