The Case for Emotional Messaging
Here’s a simple truth that makes some uncomfortable:
Emotion works better than logic.
It doesn’t matter if you’re selling shoes, software, or a club membership. If your message doesn’t make people feel something, it won’t stick.
And if it doesn’t stick, it won’t move them.
The data backs it up.
A landmark study of over 1,400 marketing campaigns found that:
- Campaigns focused on rational messaging increased profitability by 16%
- Campaigns combining rational and emotional messaging did better—26%
- But campaigns focused on emotion alone?
31% increase in profitability.
That’s not a branding theory. That’s economics.
So why are most club communications so… dry?
You know the ones:
- “Limited memberships available.”
- “Private club living at its finest.”
- “Championship golf. World-class amenities. Unparalleled service.”
It’s copy-paste marketing. Glossy on the surface. Empty underneath. It doesn’t move anyone because it could describe any club. No feeling. No story. No soul.
It’s all factual. All functional. All forgettable.
We’re trying to move people with information—when what they need is a feeling.
Here’s what emotional messaging sounds like:
“Limited memberships available”
→ “This Club isn't for everyone. Which is exactly why it might be right for you.”
“Private club living at its finest.”
→ “Why your weekends want to start on Thursday.”
“Championship golf. World-class amenities. Unparalleled service.”
→ “Where the kids learned to swim, and my husband found his foursome.”
Emotional messaging isn’t fluff.
It’s the shortcut to meaning.
It’s the reason someone chooses your club — Not because of your tennis program, but because of how it feels to raise kids here. Not because of your square footage, but because of how it feels to walk through the door. And those feelings don’t come from bullet points. They come from storytelling, voice, imagery, and tone.
But here’s the kicker...
Most people think they’re immune to it.
“Our members are too sophisticated.”
“Our prospects want the facts.”
“I don’t respond to emotional messaging.”
And yet? They’ll cry at a movie. Feel something from a song. Choose a car based on how it makes them feel—not just what it costs. You’re not above emotion. Neither are your members. So use it.
Tell the truth.
Tell it well. Tell it in a way that moves people.
Rational sells the what. Emotional sells the why. And when you combine them with clarity and consistency—that’s brand.
Until next Monday.
