Emotion – the heart of persuasion

On a day weighed down by doom and gloom, I recall discovering these lines: “I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.” It’s far too easy for me to focus on the darkness and challenges I face. Then I read a quote like this one and have to pause for a moment because the author was facing a kind of darkness I have never known. These words are inscribed in The Diary of Anne Frank. It is a humbling realization, given they come from a young girl grappling with the weight of the world on her innocent shoulders. Where was her mind in that darkness? It was pointing out to the light. The Diary of Anne Frank, along with many other books, movies, and stories, make us feel something. What is it that they inspire within us? Emotion.

In his book, Contagious: why things catch on, Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger shares 6 ingredients that create viral content. One ingredient is Emotion. It’s a sentiment that is both astute and simple – “when we care, we share.” Back in 2009, nobody from the field of visual arts ever worked for Google. The company was for techies, not designers. But when Google was interviewing graphic designers, Anthony Cafaro, a graduate from the New York school of visual arts, jumped at the opportunity. Cafaro aced the interview and got in. However, as he worked with his colleagues, he realized that everyone there valued analytics, not emotion. One day, Google was doing a project to highlight the functionality of its search engine, like finding flights, language translations, etc. A demo would showcase how Google’s search engine worked, but Cafaro felt something was missing – emotion. So, he created the “Parisian Love” campaign. This campaign told a budding love story using Google searches as a man types in the search bar, “study abroad Paris”. He lands and then searches “cafés near Louvre”. We hear a female laughing in the background as he hits his next entry, “how to impress a French girl?” followed by “translate ‘tu es mignonne’” which is French for ‘you are very cute!’. Music built as the search engine features were demonstrated as well as the plot of this love story unfolded. Everyone loved it. By focusing on love, a feeling that fills all our hearts with warm and cozy tingles, Google with this mastertouch turned a normal ad into a viral hit.

Think also about how certain science articles chronicle innovation and discoveries that evoke a particular emotion within us. I have definitely felt a sense of wonder and inspiration after learning an interesting fact [How cool is it that carrots were originally purple but were selectively bred to be orange in honor of the Dutch royal family?!]. I’m left feeling humbled, amazed, and with a compelling urge to go share it with my friends (don’t we all wish to sound smart ;p). This emotion? Awe. Similarly, Cafaro’s creative idea for Google’s campaign wasn’t only powerful, it was awe-inspiring.

Berger also speaks of Physiological arousal. According to him, there is a relationship between the type of emotion (positive, negative) and the level of arousal (high/low). Awe, excitement, humor as well as anger and anxiety are emotions that evoke high levels of arousal, whereas contentment and sadness are emotions that evoke low levels of arousal, leaving people to do nothing. Hence, understanding arousal can help us drive viral content, by focusing less on information (features and benefits), but rather on how we can devise emotional hooks to influence how people think, feel, and react to our message.

I can think about the times I wish to buy something. Makeup, books, gadgets, or the Moroccan shampoo + conditioner set with its enchanting aroma (oh, the immense love I have for my hair!). Most of the time, I don’t buy these things for logical reasons alone. I buy them for emotional reasons. Smart marketing minds maneuver their consumers by recognising the fact that emotion moves people and drives them to action. So, want people to care and share? Let’s use emotion to kindle the fire!

– SaaniaSparkle 🧚‍♀️