Symbols: Split-Second Messaging

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If you know the emotions (through historical associations with events) which can be brought forth by various symbols, you can incorporate those symbols, in various forms - some subtle, and some not subtle at all - into your messaging and marketing to strengthen your communications, branding, memorability and recipient/ audience motivation ... to inspire a more compelling "Call to action." Human Beings follow their emotions first, and justify their resultant actions with intellect and logic.

Remember that a symbol is a seed which plants a story -- sometimes it is the match which lights a fuse -- sometimes it is the key to opening up the receptiveness of a new acquaintance.

And, on occasion, it creates confusion and dissonance -- especially in the case of certain composite symbols, for example:

We are all Students of Behavioral Psychology, both introspectively (as in "What was I Thinking?") and observationally, or objectively (as in "What made her say that?").

As you already know, the mind processes pictures, and information constructed as pictures, much more rapidly and with a greater sense of recall and association than it does words or text. A Picture may truly be worth a thousand words.

Symbols, which are pictures with certain connotations or associations, are the most powerful of pictures. They not only get absorbed into the subconscious, but they are subliminally active and often emotionally-charged. National flags, banners, crests, currency, buildings... every object of importance is embedded with symbols of one sort or another.

Pictures which contain symbols and embedded words or commands (whether readily visible or subliminally visible) are particularly powerful. The viewing audience is quite often unaware of how powerful symbols are, unless they are confronted with very powerful ones (ones that they have been taught to fear or respect): the policeman's badge, the FBI identification card, the cross worn by a priest, the swastika, the Stars and Stripes of the American Flag, traffic signs, automobile dashboard symbols, and the like.

While pictures appeal to the subconscious, symbols (in particular) also have a very powerful emotional charge -- and Human Beings are more readily motivated by emotions than intellect. Deny it as we might, we do things reactively, out of emotion, and we use intellect to rationalize what we have already chosen to do after the fact.

Symbols have power, depth, and tend to leave a lasting impression. Use them wisely

Douglas E Castle @ http://aboutdouglascastle.blogspot.com/

Here are a few more traditional examples: