Why communicators should focus on audience emotions

It’s no longer enough to just provide the facts. PR pros must appeal to the sensitivities of media gatekeepers to get the coverage their clients need.

Ragan Insider Premium Content
Ragan Insider Content

Delivering just the facts was a winning strategy—until it wasn’t.

The onslaught of digital marketing and social media advertising created such intense competition for scarce space that emotional intelligence now often determines who gets their name in the paper.

Brand managers must not only offer emotionally gripping products or services to appeal to their audiences, they must also find an emotional angle for media gatekeepers to let it through.

“With the current state of the media industry (less people doing more jobs), the competition for media attention is tight,” Nicole Wyatt with Markstein says. “The emotional appeal of a media pitch has always been important, but now more than ever it is crucial.”

How emotion grabs consumers

Becky Honeyman with SourceCode Communications argues that PR pros only recently uncovered knowledge that marketing and advertising creatives have forever known.

To read the full story, log in.
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today

Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.