Emotion is the Key

Every person has a story. Every organization or business has a story. Even if you are making widgets, look for the emotional hook that describes for what you stand. As a communications professional, I give this tip: Don’t bother building any public campaign if you don’t have an emotional message. Without eliciting emotion from your audience(s), you cannot get the public to change attitude and ultimately take action. The desired action maybe increasing sales or it maybe encouraging constituents to call their Senator to voice an opinion about pending legislation. The more emotional the story you tell and the more believable your storyteller, the better your results. One of the most amazing stories I have heard is that of Holly Dunn Pendleton.  She is the only known survivor of the Railway Serial Killer.  You can see my interview with her on www.TVWebCity.com/IndianapolisWoman.  She is hitting the airwaves for the Indiana Coalition Against Sexual Assault and its specialty license plate, ‘End Violence Now’, which is available at www.INCASA.org and local Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles branches.  Find out more at www.INCASA.org. Holly’s story is one that certainly elicits emotion. Now, if somebody does the rest of the job right, that will translate into support for the ‘End Violence Now’ specialty license plate and INCASA’s bottomline.