An insight by Michael MacRitchie
“Branding is not only about ubiquity, visibility and functions, it is about bonding emotionally with people in their daily life. Only when a product or a service kindles an emotional dialogue with a consumer, can this product or service qualify to be a brand”- Joel Descrippes.
In his book, “Marketing of Power of Emotion”, John O’ shaghnessy says: Emotion is one of the defining forces in our lives. It lies at the very heart of many of our most important experiences and memories. Not surprisingly, the worlds of business and marketing have long drawn on the power of emotion to influence consumer impulses and brand loyalty. Emotion is perhaps the most discussed aspect of humanity.
It is described as our greatest and worse fear. It inspires everything we do. Thus it is logical that consumers don’t always make rational/logical decisions. At least a large component of why consumers make the choices they do is rooted in the right side of the brain which is little to do with what is rational and logical but rather with feelings and emotions. Brand development and brand positioning that fails to recognise the importance of this is unlikely to succeed. Therefore a brand becomes a blend of art, science, emotion and logic, the tangible and intangible.
In their book, ‘Emotional Branding’Marc Gobe and Sergio Zyman, write Emotion brings a new level of personality and connecting powerfully with people on a personal and holistic level. Emotional branding is based on that unique trust that is established with an audience, Clearly if marketers ignore the emotional component of a brand, they do so at their own peril.
But what exactly is meant by emotional?- Gobe and Zyman explain that by emotional, they mean how a brand engages consumers on the level of senses and emotions; how a brand comes to life for people and forges a deeper, lasting connection. This means that understanding people s emotions needs and desires is really, more then ever, the key to success. One proven way to establish a deeper connection with a consumer is through passion points; music, sports and celebrities.