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What’s emotional marketing? Why is it trending?

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The shifting trends in marketing technologies call for a good marketer to be in constant self-educative mode to keep in sync with today’s digital world. With countless new social media platforms available and new apps storming the market, how can you decide on the best course of action for your brand? The first question is, what kind of impact are you aiming to create for your brand on the target customer’s mind-set?

The tech is only a platform to promote the marketing content, which is relentlessly evolving to communicate to every generation out there. Recently studies have indicated that the human emotions play a huge role on the customer’s thoughts towards a brand, so it stands to reason that emotional marketing strategy could be the answer you’re looking for. Tapping into emotional marketing can be the next big thing for all marketing managers out there!

Gadget prototypes are being developed through which studies on human emotions could potentially soon be a reality. Apple watches for example are said to be working on adding heart sensors to test and tap into a customer’s emotional response to their surroundings. This data, known as emotional data, can be collected to analyse what triggers a customer to make a purchase. And marketers can directly appeal and personalise their offerings accordingly.

So, what is emotional marketing? What would it entail?

When we see or experience something emotional, our brain interprets it more vividly and stores it with greater clarity. This is what is called an emotionally charged event. How vividly your audience perceives an event is how they will remember it later on. To stand out from the sea of various mundane events, you have to add a unique or an unexpected component which would emotionally charge your audience.

In 2009, Bill Gates spoke on the importance of combating malaria around the world. With a few mosquitoes in a glass box in front of him he said to the audience, “Malaria is spread by mosquitoes” before releasing the insects to the crowd. He continued, “I brought some. Here, I’ll let them roam around. There is no reason only poor people should be infected.” The mosquitoes in this case were not infected. But the unique presentation of facts right in front of them garnered an amazing reaction from not only the audience but also the press and directly impacted on how the event was covered in the media.

Some headlines read – ‘Bill Gates unleash swarm of mosquitoes at TED 2009’ by The Telegraph

Bill Gates Unleashes Swarm of Mosquitoes on Crowd by Fox News

This is a perfect example of an emotionally charged event. Simply put, emotional marketing is about evoking an emotional response towards a brand, building a relationship subconsciously. It is built on a base of trust between the brand and the customer. This trust is like the Holy Grail and should be nurtured and cherished.

For example, imagine if one of the brand's loyal customers states on social media that a product purchased was faulty, or that he or she is dissatisfied and tweets unhappily about their purchase. With a Twitter post they let the company know the details, trusting and hoping that the brand will not let them down. Imagine the disappointment if there is no response from the company’s end, which in turn stirs anger/disbelief and finally loss of the trusted bond. But, a small apology and a quick pro-active message addressing the problem at hand would ultimately create a happy/joy response resulting in a productive relationship built - not only with that particular customer, but with all customers and potential customers.

Recently, Marks & Spencer faced backlash on its Facebook page as a result of a customer who had written about the poor service she felt had been provided to her elderly parents. In an in-store café, her parents had purchased a pot of tea which they found to be very weak and they asked for another tea bag. They were asked by the staff to buy another pot of tea, as it’s store policy. The same message was conveyed online and this attracted a good deal of attention, with many followers calling for M&S to change its policy. A lot of negativity was expressed in the messages posted by supporters, who sympathised with the customer.

In another example of emotional marketing, recently, Carlister.co, a social networking site for buying and selling cars, joined forces with Thinkmodo to create a viral video. It features a stunt that caught the attention of number of passers-by as well as millions online. In this scenario a New York meter maid has an argument with a cabby after he parks where he’s not allowed to. Words are exchanged between them and when he still doesn’t move, the meter maid appears to lift the front of the taxi a few feet off the ground to show him that he can move. The taxi carries the branding of Carlister.co and the idea behind it is was that selling or buying a vehicle on the website is as easy as lifting the car. Here, emotions such as shock, amazement, fear, awe, admiration and surprise are clearly visible on the faces of those who watched the live event. Doing the special effects in the streets of New York has gained Carlister.co the emotional reactions from the public but what matters the most would be “How many who watched think of Carlister.co when buying or selling their car”. This would be an extreme example of how emotional marketing strategies have been put to use.

Typically, though, not much needs to done to tap into the emotions of potential customers. What we see in everyday TV ads such as charity donation appeals aim to tap into our sympathetic emotions. When we look at why emotional marketing works, it just looks like a small part to be involved in the marketing strategy but merits a closer look, as it can elicit a very powerful response. In a nutshell, because emotional marketing appeals to the customer for not “what they are” but for “What they would like to be”.

The art lies in keeping in step with the honesty and integrity of the brand, but if successful, tapping subconsciously into these emotional needs of the customer can drive business - and everybody wins.

  

 

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