The power of 'Emotional' marketing

Even though it was a few years ago now, I can still vividly recall the Coca-Cola advertisement 'Happiness Factory'. You know the one where the guy puts the coin in the slot and the bottle is lovingly caressed and cooled on its journey to delivery by colourful, happy sprites. Coca-cola is one of the many brands that have become a household name, but not just that - they have become global, they have endured and they have adapted to changes in their market. They are one of those treasured few brands that have the ability to befriend us, console and inspire us.

When I think of these brands I ask myself "what's different?" about them in particular. To me, it's the way that they separate their product and its features (or functions/ingredients) from the message (or feeling) they want their brand to convey, to influence how customers associate and identify with it. This is the essence of Emotional branding; it is about creating a lasting connection – a strong and powerful bond that binds you to your audience and them to you through good times and bad.

Studies have shown that the factors influencing purchase are 80% emotional and 20% intellectual. Apple is a great example of a brand that turned themselves around using emotional branding. In the 1990s, Apple nearly went under but Steve Jobs came back, simplified their go-to-market, rationalised their product suite, and rebranded Apple as an aspirational brand to which people could relate. With the technology accelerating so quickly, people needed that human touch. Apple built a sense of belonging to an elite club. Other great brands that connected emotionally with the audience are Pepsi, youthfulness; Oil of Olay, timeless beauty; Harley Davidson, freedom and AT&T, promises of the future; amongst others.

The product or the service do not always have to be integrated to get the most success in creating an emotional connection with people. Procter & Gamble does it brilliantly with the “Proud sponsor of Moms” campaign that touched the emotions of moms everywhere.

Using humour can be a real treasure. Old Spice YouTube channel has over 370,000 subscribers because of sheer entertainment. But use it sparingly or else it may become irrelevant. Evian did a wonderful campaign on Evian’s Babies last year that went viral and garnered 13 millions views on YouTube. Even though the sales did not do well due to the Europe recession, the marketers have created a connection with its audience. The “Live Young” slogan read the desired meaning of the babies and people associated Evian with youthfulness.

Smart marketers recognise that modern marketing is fast becoming an experience directly linked to the customer’s emotions associated with the brand. Marketing today is becoming a form of entertainment designed to 'engage' the audience, creating memorable moments and buying experiences that lead to lasting brand association.

I remember the MasterCard “Priceless” campaign, developed by McCann-Erickson. It demonstrated a MasterCard advertisement featuring a boy and his puppy. They were not selling the MasterCard credit cards. They were selling the love of man’s best friend – a puppy. McCann-Erickson stated that it was due to the relevance of our daily lives. Marc Gob, author of Emotional Branding explained simply, “A brand is uniquely situated to achieve this because it can tap into the aspirational drivers which underlie human motivation.”

Brands that apply emotions into marketing strategy will have a greater impact with customers and thus result in a more sustainable marketing. We live in a time where campaign effectiveness is measured by its ability to deliver ROI therefore marketers should remember to keep their customer engaged with their brands. Emotion helps to instil trust and deliver memorable and engaging experiences to the customers.

While the main goal is to expand the business, only the most successful brands appeal to the heart, not the mind. By connecting an emotional trigger to every message and experience the customer receives, it will generate a consistent feeling. A product may have a limited life cycle but brands – if managed well - last forever.

Footnote: the image I have used in the header of this post is from a video we produced called The Sweet Spot: Why I am a Marketer - enjoy :-)