People Don’t Want to Be “Sick” – The Psychology of Branding

What’s the difference between a product people love to buy and one they avoid—even if they need it?

It’s not always price.

It’s not always quality.

It’s how the customer FEELS about buying it.

There’s a powerful, often-overlooked bias in branding: people don’t like to feel “broken.” If your product makes them feel like they have a problem, a flaw, or something to fix, they might resist it—even when it’s objectively useful.

This applies far beyond healthcare. Any product that solves a problem must be positioned in a way that empowers, not reminds people of their pain.

The Psychology of Avoidance

No one wants to feel like they’re struggling. This is why startups that market their product as a fix often struggle—while those that market the aspirational benefit take off.

🚀 Examples from different industries:

• Health & Wellness: A hydration drink targeted at kidney patients rebranded as an “electrolyte booster for active lifestyles”—and suddenly, sales took off.

• SaaS & Productivity Tools: Project management tools that market themselves as “stopping workflow chaos” often fail, while those that position themselves as “making teams thrive” win.

• Education & Learning: Courses framed as “fixing knowledge gaps” feel like homework. Those branded as “unlocking high performance” sell better.

• B2B Software: A cybersecurity company struggled when marketing “protection against threats” but grew rapidly when rebranded as “giving companies control over their security.”

The key lesson? People don’t want to feel like they’re fixing a problem—they want to feel like they’re leveling up.

Rebranding From “Fixing” to “Enhancing”

If your product is about solving a problem, take a step back and ask:

• How can we position this as an enhancement, not just a solution?

• Does our branding make people feel empowered—or like they’re struggling?

🚀 More real-world examples:

• Athletic Greens sells a greens supplement, but instead of marketing it as “nutritional deficiency support,” they brand it as “daily foundational nutrition for high performers.”

• Oura Ring could have been a sleep-tracking device for people struggling with insomnia—but instead, it’s positioned as a biohacking tool for peak performance.

• Salesforce doesn’t market itself as “fixing sales inefficiencies”—it’s about helping businesses grow faster.

The positioning shift changes everything.

Practical Steps to Apply This to Any Business

1️⃣ Use Identity-Based Branding

• Instead of: “For businesses struggling with compliance.”

• Try: “For businesses that want to stay ahead of regulations with ease.”

• Instead of: “For people with chronic pain.”

• Try: “For active people who don’t let discomfort slow them down.”

2️⃣ Speak to Aspiration, Not Fear

• Instead of: “Prevent heart disease.”

• Try: “Keep your heart strong so you can live life to the fullest.”

• Instead of: “Stop losing customers.”

• Try: “Increase customer retention effortlessly.”

3️⃣ Showcase Success, Not Struggle

• Instead of focusing on what people are doing wrong, show them thriving after using your product.

4️⃣ Test New Messaging Fast

• Run A/B tests on ads with different emotional triggers—one focusing on pain, another on aspiration—and see which converts better.

Final Thought: Make People Feel Good About Buying

Whether you’re selling software, consumer products, or a B2B service, one rule applies: If your branding reminds customers of their weakness, their struggles, or their failures, they might resist it—even if they need it.

The most successful brands don’t sell “getting back to normal.”

They sell getting to the next level.

This post is based on insights from the MIT course “Nuts and Bolts of New Ventures.” You can watch the full session here for even more lessons.

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