Let’s talk emotional marketing. Where a consumer is made to experience feelings of happiness, joy and anticipation… even a little shock factor. We have all experienced this at some point, that moment when a clever ad, heartwarming story, or a laugh-out-loud meme grabs your attention and makes you feel something. But why is that?
When you get hit with a marketing message that pulls at your emotions, it sticks. Whether it’s a funny billboard, a tear-jerking video, or a ridiculously cute Instagram post, there’s a reason behind it and that reason is emotional marketing.
Here’s what this article will cover;
- What is Emotional Marketing?
- Is Emotional Marketing Ethical?
- Why Does It Work So Well?
- The Emotional Power Play
- How To Create An Emotional Marketing Strategy
- Emotional Marketing Techniques
What is Emotional Marketing?
It’s all about tapping into feelings to create an instant connection between a brand and its audience. Emotional marketing is a strategy that isn’t just about what the brand says, but how it makes you feel. And guess what? People don’t remember the exact words in an ad, but they always remember how it made them feel.
When was the last time you told your friend about a brand just because you liked their logo? Probably never. But what about that one ad that made you cry? Or the hilarious commercial you just had to show someone? That’s emotional marketing working its magic.
Is Emotional Marketing Ethical?
One could argue that emotional marketing crosses the line in terms of ethics as it can be considered ‘toying with someones emotions’. However, this is highly contextual. Using emotional marketing as a tool to profit from sensitive topics is deeply unethical, particularly when targeted towards vulnerable people. Instilling feelings of fear or guilt should never be used by for-profit brands to influence purchasing decisions.
Instead, it is important these brands focus on evoking positive emotions! Customers are more likely to form a connection with a brand that make them feel good!
Why Does It Work So Well?
Because feelings are personal. When you laugh, cry, or get goosebumps from something, it leaves an impression. That feeling turns into a memory, and that memory becomes a bridge between you and the brand. And the coolest part? That connection is what builds loyalty. When a brand makes you feel good (or maybe even a little sentimental), you’re more likely to keep coming back. It’s like when you keep returning to your favorite comfort food, it’s just that good.
The Emotional Power Play
In marketing, emotions are like a secret weapon. Whether it’s excitement about a new product, nostalgia for the good old days, or a little bit of FOMO (fear of missing out), emotions influence decisions more than we realise. We love to think we’re rational, but hey, feelings often run the show.
So, if you’re wondering why emotional marketing is the key to effective marketing, it’s simple: people remember the emotions a brand stirs up, and not the bullet points on a brochure. Emotions create memories, memories build connections, and connections? They breed loyalty.
How To Create An Emotional Marketing Strategy
When making decisions about your marketing piece or campaign, choose the emotion you want to evoke first. You must choose an emotion that is both relevant to your business goals and caters towards the customers needs. Typically for-profit brands aim for a positive emotion, however, you will find that non-profit organisations usually aim to shock their audience or instill feelings of sadness to encourage consumers to donate to a cause or support their mission. Again, it is highly contextual. If you are trying to make a sale, happiness, joy or even curiosity would be appropriate emotions.
Emotional Marketing Techniques
Once you have chosen a suitable emotion for your marketing piece, you must select marketing techniques that will help you evoke this emotion. Here are some effective marketing techniques.
Storytelling
This is an effective way of evoking an emotion as it can take your customers on a journey. If you are a new business, the best story you can start with is your own! Every business has a unique story for how it began and why it exists, so this is a great place to start! If you want your audience to feel inspired, tell your audience about how your mission came about and the challenges you’ve faced. Or perhaps you want to make them feel warm inside, so tell them how your passion developed.
Video Marketing
This technique is also very effective as it uses more than one sensory cue. It is an opportunity to evoke an emotion through both sound and visuals, enhancing the emotional effect of the message and helping it to become memorable. A memorable message is more likely to be shared by your customers with friends and family.
Showcase Reviews
Once your customer has used your product or service, it is important to encourage them to leave a review, so they can be displayed on your site or social media profiles (do not include personal information!) Positive comments can help to validate new customers feelings when they see that others were also happy with your product.
Build a Community
This is a very powerful technique in terms of evoking emotions. Enabling customers to come together and be a part of something has proven to be highly successful, as people enjoy connecting with others just like them. Here, you can provide customers with so much more than just a product!
Be authentic
Finally, every brand should opt to be its authentic self. By making everything about your brand authentic, it makes it real. There is nothing more heart-warming and admirable than a true and genuine brand. Authenticity also allows a brand to showcase what is unique about them, which can inspire customers and help them to remember the brand!
