“Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature, what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action, even though his language so often camouflages what really motivates him. For if you know these things about a man you can touch him at the core of his being.”
Bill Bernbach, advertising legend
Don’t advertise a mood. Invoke it. By giving someone advance warning of an emotion, you inoculate them from it.
Jay Heinrichs, paraphrased from his book ‘Thank you for arguing’
It’s hard to beat your competition when you’re copying them.
Neil Patel, digital marketing author & entrepreneur
Speech is a powerful lord … it can stop fear and banish grief and create joy and nurture pity
Gorgias, Ancient Greek philosopher
There is only one space that matters [in communications]. The space between the customer’s ears
Sir John Hegarty, advertising legend
“Remember: we respond to communication as a whole, not just as a message … think about the ‘body language’, not just the language. How something is said, or who says it, often matters more than what is said.”
Les Binet & Sarah Carter, advertising experts
“Campaigns containing little or no product, but working instead by appealing to emotions or ‘herd instincts’, are twice as effective as conventional ‘message’ advertising. It seems in marketing, like politics, meta-communication is what matters … what you say matters less than how you say it.”
Sarah Carter & Les Binet, ‘How not to plan’
“When you give too many details and words and ideas and choices, all those ideas compete with each other – so the receiver has a lot of details, but doesn’t know which one to focus on.”
Joel Schwartzberg, professional presentation coach, via HBR
The essential difference between emotion and reason is that emotion leads to action, while reason leads to conclusions.
Donald B. Calne, renowned neurologist
For better or for worse, in visual culture we judge and are judged by appearances
Kim Golombisky & Rebecca Hagen, design authors
Bite-Sized Marcomms 