Emotion is the Missing Strategy

Most decisions are not logical.

We like to believe they are. We build business cases, analyse data, weigh options. We justify our choices with reason. But the truth is simpler and far more human. We decide with emotion. We explain with logic later. This is where so much modern storytelling goes wrong.

In an effort to be clear, professional, and safe, emotion is often stripped away. What’s left is information – accurate, polished, and completely forgettable. Yet emotion is not decoration. It is not an add-on. It is not a risk to be managed.

Emotion is the strategy.

Emotion is what makes us pay attention. Emotion is what creates memory. Emotion is what builds trust.

Think about the stories that have stayed with you – a book you couldn’t forget, a film that lingered for days, a photograph that stopped you mid-scroll. Their power didn’t come from how well they explained something. It came from how deeply they felt something. And yet, many brands, organisations, and even creators actively avoid emotion. Because emotion feels unpredictable. Because it requires honesty. Because it means letting go of control. But playing it safe has a cost.

Safe stories blend in. Safe stories don’t travel. Safe stories don’t move anyone to act.

The most effective storytelling – whether in publishing, film, or brand work – is not loud or manipulative. It’s grounded. Considered. Human. It respects the audience enough to feel something real.

This doesn’t mean oversharing.It doesn’t mean sentimentality.And it certainly doesn’t mean forcing emotion where it doesn’t belong. It means understanding why the story matters – and allowing that truth to come through.

At Origin, emotion isn’t used to sell. It’s used to connect. Connection is what turns viewers into believers, readers into advocates and audiences into communities.

And connection is what gives stories longevity.

Because people may forget what you said. They may forget what you showed them. But they will remember how you made them feel.

That’s not a creative preference. It’s human nature.

And it’s the missing strategy in a world drowning in content, but starving for meaning.