Emotions Matter... for Real

We’re all drowning in content.

Everyone’s posting. Everyone’s promoting. Everyone’s launching something.

But the thing that makes a story actually cut through?

It’s not the polish.

It’s not the platform.

It’s the emotion.

A while back, I worked on marketing for a plant-based pasta brand. The product was excellent. The health benefits? Irrefutable. The data? Solid.

But the turning point came when we stopped just listing features… and started telling stories.

Like the one about a single dad who discovered the pasta while helping his daughter manage a rare dietary condition. He wrote us a note saying it brought joy back to mealtime — and tears back to my eyes. We shared his story. That’s when people started paying attention. Not because we had better macros… but because we made them feel something.

That’s what emotion does.

Real storytelling doesn’t just inform. It moves people — into action, into reflection, into connection. The best storytellers don’t just say what happened. They say why it mattered. What did it change? Who did it touch? How did it feel?

If you want your story to matter, don’t just report it. Relive it.

So whether you're crafting a campaign, writing a speech, pitching a startup, or posting online — stop obsessing over the perfect hook.

Instead, ask yourself:

What’s the emotional thread here?

What are people supposed to feel — and why will they care?

Because in the end, a good story doesn’t win because it’s the loudest.

It wins because it hits home.