When advertising, there’s certainly a lot of value to persuading someone logically, but emotional persuasion travels much deeper. The right side of the brain is much more susceptible to persuasion and influence than the left. Remember too that people will do things when they’re emotionally motivated that they would never dream of doing when they’re motivated logically.

So how do you appeal to emotions? One way is to sell the result of the product rather than the product itself. Instead of talking about the specifications of the boat, talk about the hours of family fun, the fishing, the travel, the freedom. Sometimes with radio clients, I’ll suggest that a jingle might be the way to go. Jingles have a way of getting past people’s defenses; they’re heard and remembered regardless of whether or not the listener is actively or passively listening. When aired with enough frequency, they become part of the public consciousness. Over time, they can even evoke feelings of nostalgia.

When trying to differentiate between logical and emotional persuasion, I often use the example of buying a pet. There are very few logical reasons to buy a pet. They’re often expensive, high maintenance, dirty. Sometimes they’re hazardous to the health of others. It’s pretty hard to sell a pet logically. Luckily these guys sell themselves. People that like pets don’t care about all that stuff. It’s an emotionally driven purchase. They just want a cute cuddly companion.