What are emotions – Why prescription decisions are guided by emotions and seldom by logic and rational?
Written By: Vivek Hattangadi
Blog 4 of the series “Crimes in Medicomarketing Copywriting”
What are emotions – why prescriptions decisions are guided by emotions and seldom by logic and rational?
Introduction
Whenever the word ‘emotion’ comes, who is the first personality that comes to your mind? It’s none other than Daniel Goleman. Before we discuss why emotions are important in brand communication and why prescription decisions are guided by emotions seldom by logic and rational, let us understand what emotions are.
Emotions are conscious mental reactions (such as anger or fear) subjectively experienced as strong feelings usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body.
During the 1970s, psychologist Paul Eckman identified six basic emotions that were universally experienced in all human cultures. The emotions he identified were happiness, sadness, disgust, fear, surprise, and anger. (1)
Emotions are often confused with feelings and moods, but the three terms are not interchangeable. (2) Emotions are how individuals deal with matters or situations they find personally significant.
Feelings arise from an emotional experience. For instance, you feel pain, you also feel hungry, isn’t it? And these aren’t emotions. Quite often you are angry because you are hungry. (And you should blame the brains physiology for this. Anger is also linked to hunger because of brain chemicals such as neuropeptide Y or NPY, which is released into the brain when you are hungry. NPY causes stress leading to anger).
A mood is described as “any short-lived emotional state, usually of low intensity.” Moods differ from emotions because they lack stimuli and have no clear starting point. Moods are short-lived emotional states, usually of low intensity (e.g., a cheerful mood, or an irritable mood). (2)
Emotions in Communication
Who is your favorite author? Mine is Mark Twain because his writings bring a smile on your face. He includes humor in his writings in a subtle way. He doesn’t make it obvious.
In one of his works, he said: “Politicians and diapers must be changed often. For the same reason.”
In another he wrote: “God created war so that Americans would learn geography.”
And this one beat all: “Concerning the difference between man and the jackass: some observers hold that there isn’t any. But this wrongs the jackass.”
The humor effect is a cognitive bias that can make you remember information better if you perceive it as humorous. The humor effect can be highly beneficial, especially when you conduct online training programs. It increases interest and spikes the energy levels of the audience.
Emotions create a connection between you and your listeners or readers. When they understand your perspective, they can engage with your message, which makes them more likely to act. Creating emotion is about creating curiosity and interest in your story, excitement for your concept and empathy for your characters.
The oldest and strongest emotion of humanity is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown. You can create fear in your communication. What makes you and me fearful? The universal trigger for fear is you feel threatened, or likely to be harmed. This fear can be real or imagined. This threat can be for your physical, emotional, or psychological well-being. Fear also creates a sense of urgency. Create fear in your communication, and then immediately placate the fear by creating hope.
In the next two sentences, the initial fear-inducing descriptions are followed by soothing and reassuring descriptions, creating a contrast that is intended to evoke a mixture of emotions in your audience.
” The Indian Meteorological Department predicts El Nino effect during the peak monsoon periods in 2023. This created a sense of impending doom and scanty rainfall in our country. But the dark clouds and the rain droplets on your head in the month of July gave you comfort and made you cheerful.”
“The flickering streetlights cast long, ominous shadows that seemed to follow Amulya who was walking all alone at midnight along Hill Road. But the Mumbai’s heart held bustling cafes where warm conversations and laughter melted away the night’s terrors.”
How has pharma India used it?
This promo headline first creates fear, anxiety, and panic amongst those above 50 (and I wasn’t an exception to this). And immediately below it placates your fear. You have your doctor and a vaccine to prevent shingles.
That’s the way you use the emotion of fear in your communication.
Another strong emotion is the emotion of happiness and joy. Do you recall when did you first show the emotion of joy?
Think.
Think hard.
Yes, there you are! When you were about a month old, or maybe even a little earlier. You smiled back at your mother when she smiled at you. You were so happy! That was your first emotion in your life.
Obviously, joy and happiness are hard-wired into all of us. Now read these three short sentences.
“The four little black and white puppies played, spreading infectious delight.”
“My little grandson giggled, sharing innocence and joy.”
“The sunflowers bloomed, painting fields with gold.”
What happens when you read these three sentences? You are delighted. Your heart is filled joy, glee, and jubilance. You are happy, which is a pleasant emotional state that is symbolized by feelings of contentment, joy, gratification, satisfaction, and well-being.
See this ad of Little’s (Piramal) for baby wipes and diapers. The child and the mother are both so happy.
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