Messaging Mistakes (Don't Think About The Elephant) - Gemma Pitcher

So Crisp with Jay Crisp Crow

"If I say, "Don't think of an Elephant" what do you immediately think of?

"How long is his trunk?""

I came across Gemma in a random post in the Freelance Jungle, big shoutout for these guys - best large group I’m a member of for freelancers on the Facey - where we were blowing off some steam chatting about “the overpour” - that one topic you could talk about for ages even when other people’s eyes had glazed over and they’d started backing away slowly.

And Gemma wrote this:

“Cognitive-linguistic mistakes made by advocacy organisations. I'm a blast at parties.”

So, of course, I immediately wanted to know her.

The Crisp Takeaways * Yum *

The facts are not actually enough to sell people into a cause – no matter how well researched.

Without a good story or a cohesive narrative, people will not buy into supporting a charity.

Carefully consider the metaphors you use. These have a powerful impact on how people view your situation, and how they react to it. Often we can find metaphors that do help to explain the ‘thing’ but the way it leaves people feeling about it is the opposite of what we want to achieve.

“If you want to bust myths – put the truth out there, rather than the myth with the word NOT attached to it. They won’t remember the NOT, just the myth!”

Gemma Pitcher is a consultant who helps advocacy organisations and NGOs find more strategic ways to tell their campaign stories.

As well as her passion for more effective messaging, she loves research, writing, technology, training, connecting people, generating ideas, building relationships and working in fun creative teams.

She dislikes bigotry, misogyny and celery.