The power of small numbers

It’s all about using the power of smaller numbers for persuasive effect. Basically, a good communication strategy favours understandable numbers over 'economical' ones.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, pictured in Ottawa on Nov. 21, 2019. Ford's government, in the name of refunding the cost of past licence sticker fees which are being phased out, recently mailed every qualified driver in the province a cheque for $280. That’s smart politics because receiving that bit of cash will likely please Ontarians more than if the government had announced some sort of multi-billion-dollar spending scheme, writes Gerry Nicholls. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY GERRY NICHOLLS

April 14, 2022

OAKVILLE, ONT.—Winston Churchill once said, “short words are best.” What that means is, unless you're talking to Conrad Black, if you want to make a point about an individual’s thriftiness, it’s better to call him or her “cheap” instead of “parsimonious." I’d argue the same princ...

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