Psychology is in Every Move You Make and Every Word You Type

Part 2: The Psychology of Messaging

In the previous part, I explained how psychology is intertwined with the communication industry. In this part, I will explain psychology can help shape brand messaging.

Psychology is used in every aspect of our lives, from the advertisements we see daily to the design of the environments we’re in, such as malls and parks. So why should brand messaging rely on psychology?

When you understand people and clients’ behaviors, attitudes and motivations behind decision-making processes, you’ll be able to develop more structured materials and ideas in your messaging, proposals and campaigns, whether purely PR, marketing, social media, or a combination of all three.

Here are three important tips to keep in mind when developing messaging:

— Attractiveness: in order for your messaging and campaign to resonate with your audience, they need to be attractive. Take a dog for example: what would you see more attractive? A cute dog jumping around, or a rabid dog attacking a child? The message may be simple, but it is how you structure it that can cause your campaign to succeed or fail.

— Expertise: Never be ashamed to say – I don’t know. We are not born experts; and thus, it is crucial to rely on certain expertise, whether deriving from research, clients, or other practitioners within the agency.

— Emotion: Messaging always needs to play on peoples’ emotions as they can help influence decision-making on a more personal level. Use colors, word choices or even tonality to tap into your audience’s emotions.

It’s fascinating how psychology can affect your verbal communication. Uncovering the secrets of psychology is not a process that can be completed in a day. Stay tuned for my upcoming blogs to know more about the secret world of communication and how it implies to the body and mind!

Antoine Boghos is Senior Account Manager at Cicero & Bernay Communication Consultancy, an independent PR agency headquartered in Dubai offering new-age public relations consultancy to the UAE and across the MENA region. | www.cbpr.me