Make 'em laugh, make 'em cry

This won’t be surprising to most people reading this blog, but...

P&G just completed an internal study of 300 TV ads, 85 online videos, 100 Facebook posts and 50 in-store displays. They found that communication that generated an emotional response was nine times more likely to be successful.

Positive emotions were most likely to lead to success…but even negative emotions made a significant impact. As a P&G exec says, “The real killer is indifference.”

As for those straightforward, factual, “rational” appeals…don’t waste your time. They’re probably not going to work.