According to the world of online dating, coming across as an arse to some can make others love you more. If having haters makes those who like you like you all the more, does the same psychology apply to our relationships with brands? And does it actually pay for a brand to rub part of its audience up the wrong way?

As Roald Dahl’s The Twits taught us, marriage can be hard, and spouses sometimes resort to subtle trickery to get back at each other. One such trick used by frustrated partners is ‘oppositional brand choice’ – buying Ben and Jerry’s when you know full well your husband prefers Häagen-Dazs.

What scares you? Horror movies? Conspiracy theories? A former reality star running America? Fear is a long-used marketing tool, and research suggests it can enhance the emotional connection people feel with brands. Canvas8 spoke to Lea Dunn of the Foster School of Business to find out how.

As male depression gains broader public attention and young women adopt a ‘sad aesthetic’ online, brands are being challenged to consider how they communicate to an emotionally charged society. How can they help people in their quest for inner happiness and free expression?