**5.9 Emotionalize message content**

While some audiences seek out facts and scientific information, others are more drawn to emotional and personalized message content [37]. Thereby, message appeals describe promotional cues that are used to drive both recipients' interest and attention [90]. While i*nformative appeals* utilize rational arguments in a matter-of-fact presentation [91], e*motional appeals,* on the other hand, are based on images or videos to facilitate comprehension amongst message recipients [92]. Emotional appeals allow organizations to gain support from the affected public in times of crisis [93–95], and researchers have identified a number of advantages associated with the use of an emotional message presentation, such as an increased "attention to messages, recall, positive attitudes, and compliance to recommended behaviors" ([37]: p. 249). *In this context, stories or personal recounts are recommended, and have been employed in numerous countries, such as Austria, the U.S. and Germany.*

**Figure 7.**

*Austrian PSAs featuring individuals in their domestic settings. (Source: https://www.governor.ny.gov/).*
