Emotive Words are Important for Effective Communication
Most people think that if you present all the facts and all the logic, people will believe the truth about the product or service. In fact the opposite is true. Most people make decisions based on emotions.
If you think about the advertising you have seen lately, the ones you like and the ones that you remember, what they all have in common is that you formed a connection with them in some way. They touched you on an emotional level. It could have been a brand name, a colour, a performance level or a product that makes you feel good as soon as you put it on.
Emotion is an extremely powerful thing, it motivates us. Positive feelings pull us towards things that are generally good for us, and negative emotions move us away from the things that are generally bad for us.
If we look at the election campaigns that are being run at the moment. Each party is using words like:
share… change… opportunity… challenge… truth… moral…reform… children… family… provide…commitment… duty… precious… premise… tough… listen… learn… help… lead… vision… success… rights… proud/pride… building… environment…protect… to describe themselves and words like:
failure (fail)… collapse(ing)… deeper… crisis… destructive… destroy… sick… pathetic… endanger… corruption… incompetent… destructive… impose… insecure… anti-(issue): family, child, jobs… excuses… intolerant…corrupt… selfish… insensitive… taxes… spend(ing)… shame… disgrace… cheat… abuse of power… to describe their opponents.
It is not hard to see how these types of words build up a picture in our minds and tap into more of our emotional sides, that ‘strike a cord’ with us.
In Advertising it is important to consider what words are being used and how they will make your potential customers and clients feel about you and your services. If you team these words with emotive images and sounds you will have a very powerful campaign.
Yours in Design
Belinda
