Sharpen Your Corporate Communication Skills! [3]Have you designed that "emotional trigger" that makes people want to share?
In the third installment of our series from the Corporate Communications Strategy Institute (within Dentsu Inc. Public Relations), we introduce the "Emotional Trigger Map" – a planning method that classifies and maps the motivations driving consumers to share information – and how this method is applied to content design.
Point
Consumers share "emotions"! Consider whose hearts to move and how.
・Motives for sharing can be broadly categorized into 10 types (Emotion Triggers)
・Design information using "Emotion Triggers" + "PR IMPAKT®"
・Use the "Emotion Trigger Map" as a checklist
Emotional triggers are the impulses that make people want to share something
How can companies effectively communicate the appeal of their brands and products to consumers? In today's world overflowing with products and information, it's increasingly difficult to create high-value content that makes consumers pause—content that makes them want to talk about it or spread it on social media.
Yet, if you look at social media, many people share various information daily. This suggests that instead of asking "What information should companies deliver to resonate with consumers?", shifting the perspective to "Why are consumers sharing that information?" might reveal insights for corporate information design.
The first step is to reflect on when you personally feel the urge to "tell someone about this information = share it." Looking back on my own experiences, moments like "when I was so moved I cried," "when I was utterly astonished," or "when I thought something was so incredibly cute it made me gasp" fit this description.
In other words, the urge to share arises when our own emotions are deeply stirred. I believe sharing stems from the impulse to share the feelings that the information evoked in us with someone else.
What kind of information moves people's hearts? — 10 emotions that get shared
What kinds of emotions make people feel "I want to share this!"? We researched hit videos on YouTube (videos with high shares, views, and comments), identified the emotions that make people want to share them, categorized them into 10 types, and named them "emotional triggers."
In spring 2017, we conducted a consumer survey targeting these 10 emotions. We asked what kind of content, by stimulating which emotions, would make people want to share corporate information with others.
The results showed "Inspiration" (49.1%) ranked first, followed by "Heartwarming" (48.8%) and "Unbelievable" (40.8%). Support gathered for content that evokes strong "empathy," content whose story touches the heart and warms the chest, and content that delivers surprise beyond one's imagination.
Incidentally, while "Awful" or "Sexy" may be shareable, they tend to provoke backlash or criticism from consumers. For the purpose of enhancing corporate appeal, they carry high risk and low reward. Caution is advised.
Map emotional triggers to serve as a compass for content design
The result of mapping these 10 emotions is the "Emotional Trigger Map." The vertical axes represent the directionality of emotions: "Awe," which creates a strong, immediate impact, and "Empathy," which reaches deep into the heart and elicits strong resonance. The horizontal axes represent "Rational Thinking" and "Emotional Thinking," with each emotion positioned accordingly.
The size of each emotion's circle is proportional to the numerical results from the previously mentioned survey.
Incidentally, the survey also revealed that these "emotional triggers" show trends by gender and age group. Briefly, for eight emotions (excluding "Enlightenment" and "Sexy"), women's scores exceeded men's. By age group, younger demographics showed higher responses for many items, while "Enlightenment" elicited the strongest response from those in their 60s.
Furthermore, the "PR IMPAKT"※ at the center of the "Emotional Trigger Map" is also an indispensable perspective for content design.
Strategic content design through "Emotional Triggers" + "PR IMPAKT"
If "Emotion Triggers" serve as indicators for planning which consumer emotions to stimulate for sharing, "PR IMPAKT" consolidates six angles for information likely to become newsworthy. It models what perspectives make news based on analyzing various real-world news stories.
The name "PR IMPAKT" is derived from the initials of the following elements:
・Inverse (Paradox, Contrasting Structure)
・Most (Superlative, First Ever)
・Public (Social Relevance, Regionality)
・Actor/Actress (Celebrity)
・Keyword (keyword, numbers)
・Trend (current trends, social climate, seasonality) ※ "PR IMPAKT" is a strategic design perspective developed by Dentsu Inc. and Dentsu Public Relations, unique to the Dentsu Group. For details, please see here.
These "PR IMPAKT" elements can be considered in combination with "emotional triggers."
For example, content that stimulates "emotional impact" or "heart-pounding excitement" while simultaneously addressing "Public" (societal) issues tends to have high newsworthiness and is more likely to be shared on social media. Emotions highly compatible with "IMPAKT" are positioned close together within the "map" (Keyword and Trend, applicable to all, are placed centrally).
We recommend using these perspectives as a checklist before releasing content. By strategically designing content that centers on "emotional triggers" while also incorporating the newsworthiness perspective of "PR IMPAKT" – meaning considering how media will cover it – companies can unlock diverse possibilities and opportunities for their information dissemination.
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Author
Yohei Nemoto
PR Consulting Dentsu Inc.
Joined Dentsu Inc. PR in 2008. Concurrently serves as a part-time lecturer at Taisho University since 2021. Strives to approach overall communication planning from a PR perspective. Co-authored works include "PR Thinking" and "Municipal PR Strategy." Lecturer for the Sendenkaigi "Online Video Planning Practical Course" (2016–present) and "Buzz Creative Practical Course" (2019–present). Awards include Global SABRE Awards (twice selected for "World's Top 40 PR Projects") and PRWeek Awards Asia (seven consecutive years).
