Emotion drives recommendation
People share the things that make them feel something.
It might be a film, a story, a brand, a cause or an experience. But we rarely recommend something because it was simply efficient, well organised or good value. We recommend it because it stayed with us.
That is what emotion does.
And when it comes to brands, emotion is often the difference between somebody noticing you and somebody actually doing something as a result.
Logic matters. But it only gets you so far.
Of course the rational things matter.
Price, service, quality, convenience and reliability all influence the choices we make. They get you considered.
But they are rarely what makes somebody talk about you afterwards.
People recommend brands because they trust them, enjoy them, believe in them or feel some connection with what they stand for.
That feeling is what sticks.
Everything starts with story
As filmmakers and creatives, I’ve always believed that everything we do is really about telling stories.
A good story makes you lean in. It makes you care about somebody or something. It helps you understand an idea, a person or an organisation in a way that facts on their own often cannot.
That applies just as much to brands as it does to film.
At Genium, our aim is actually very simple: tell the right story about your brand, to the right audience, and make them feel something strongly enough to react and take action.
That action might be buying something.
It might be changing an opinion.
It might be supporting a cause, making a donation, getting in touch, changing behaviour or simply remembering you when it matters.
But there has to be a response.
Otherwise, what was the communication for?
Emotion becomes even more important when the story is difficult
Some of the most powerful work we do is also some of the hardest.
When you are telling stories around mental health, illness, loss or other difficult subjects, emotion is not something you bolt on afterwards. It is the heart of the story.
The challenge is getting that balance right.
You need to tell the truth. You need to make people feel the reality of what somebody is going through. Sometimes the story needs to be hard-hitting.
But it also needs to be human.
If you push too hard, people can switch off. If you soften it too much, the message loses its impact.
The best charity storytelling creates empathy rather than simply presenting information. It gives people a reason to care about somebody they may never have met and, crucially, a reason to act.
That might mean asking for help themselves, checking in on somebody else, donating, sharing a story or looking at an issue differently.
That is the power of emotion when it is handled properly.
We see it across our work
The subject matter changes, but the principle doesn’t.
With BBC Learning English, the job was not simply to communicate information about Shakespeare. It was to make the stories entertaining, accessible and memorable for audiences around the world.
With Orchid, communicating around male cancers meant dealing with serious information in a way that felt clear, human and relevant enough for people to engage with it.
And in our work with organisations such as Moorfields Eye Hospital and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, the challenge is often to take something complex and make people understand not only what it means, but why it matters.
That is where storytelling earns its place.
Facts are important. But stories are what give those facts meaning.
Brand is a feeling built over time
Of course, none of this is just about one film or one campaign.
People build up a view of a brand over hundreds of small interactions.
Your website. Your films. Your social content. The way you speak to people. The way you explain something difficult. The way somebody feels after dealing with you.
All of it matters.
A strong brand is not simply a logo or a set of guidelines. It is the feeling people are left with.
And if that feeling is strong enough, they remember you.
If it is positive enough, they come back.
And if they really believe in you, they tell somebody else.
Give people something to care about
For me, that is the real opportunity.
There is an enormous amount of content being made and an enormous amount of noise competing for our attention.
Being clear is important.
Being professional is important.
But neither is enough on its own.
If you want somebody to stop, listen and act, you have to give them a reason to care.
That often means being brave enough to tell a real story.
To show some personality.
To talk about the things that matter.
And, occasionally, to make people feel uncomfortable, moved, inspired or challenged.
Because if the work creates no feeling at all, it is unlikely to create much action either.
At Genium, that is really what we are here to do.
We tell stories about your brand to the people who need to hear them. We make those stories matter. And we create work designed to make people feel, react and take action.
If your brand has an important story to tell, but you’re not sure you’re telling it in a way that people will genuinely care about, let’s talk – email us – [email protected].