One thing that will make your message unforgettable
- Wed, January 11 2012
- Filed under: Marketing essentials
What is that one thing?
A really good metaphor - it’s mental velcro.
Take your theory of change or your approach to social good and turn it into a metaphor - it’s ever so much more effective than the typical, intangible, conceptual way of communicating.
And it’s not only memorable—it affects how people think about you and your issue.
According to writer David DeSalvo, research shows that when metaphors are used to frame a discussion, the rest of the discussion will be viewed through the lens of the metaphor.
In a fascinating study from Stanford that DeSalvo discusses in his book, “What Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do the Opposite,” studies were asked to read reports about crime. One report talked about crime as a “wild beast preying on the city and lurking in neighborhoods.” Students who read that study favored solutions like building jails or calling in the military. In a different report, crime was described as a “virus infecting the city and plaguing communities.” Students who read that study opted for law enforcement in fewer numbers and were more inclined to suggest social reforms.
So metaphor not only sticks in the mind - it shapes opinion.
Mind your metaphors - they are powerful stuff.
Comments
“Mental velcro”! Love it! 
That’s fascinating research, I guess this is the kind of techniques they use when surveying opinion.
Great tip, I had that hunch but this really nails it down! (metaphorically speaking naturally)