The Psychology Behind Emotional Branding

Every time you reach for a Coke over a store-brand soda or buy an Apple computer rather than a cheaper alternative you are making choices like this based on emotional branding. Emotional branding is at the very heart of why some brands become household names while others capture hearts globally. What makes some brands unforgettably irresistible to a global audience, whereas others only mean something in extremely limited circumstances? And why do consumers feel unwavering loyalty towards many firms?

But how do brands achieve this emotional pull? Why is it so important?

This blog post is designed to explain the psychology behind emotional branding, see how effective it can be in practice and provide useful suggestions for entrepreneurs to leverage emotional branding to build better relationships with their customer base.

What Is Emotional Branding

Emotional branding is, at its core, all about creating deep connections between the consumer and a brand…in some way that transcends mere product quality or price points. This means appealing to human feelings and values or to deep-seated desires for the most powerful “stickiness”.

Consider Nike and its slogan “Just do it”.

It’s about much more than selling sneakers; it’s an attempt to empower every individual from inside. Nike makes you sense something. That’s emotional branding for you.

Successful brands understood the psychology of consumers and used it to forge an identity which people identify with, even as they aspire to be like. This is the way that Nike, Samsung or Sony as Sears Roebuck Knustcapitol and just about every other “aspirational” brand on the market goes at Emotional Branding.

Manufacturers have long understood this dynamic and have deliberately tried to make their products stand out on the shelf from another manufacturer’s — either through distinctive packaging or, in today’s market, color schemes or advertising languages that are designed reach all possible buyers. And what often happens in the event of a tie? Even if the price is higher: if one company has a better emotional appeal to go along with those features then the winner will be obvious.

Why Emotional Branding Matters

People are emotional creatures. Research has shown that emotions play a significant role in the decision-making process. In a study conducted by Harvard Business School professor Gerald Zaltman, 95% of all purchasing decisions were subconscious and based on gut feelings rather than rational thought.

Rationality may determine the bottom line in upcoming budget figures or a certain storage medium but feelings like trust and belonging, or, as we shall now discuss more fully, the frisson of excitement are what actually seal deals. Emotional branding works because it taps immediately into all these feedbacks, letting customers feel understood, valued and especially making them feel connected.

Emotions are powerful, but they can be tricky to navigate.
👉 Curious about the risks? Learn about the negatives of emotional branding.

The Advantages of Emotional Branding

• Customer Loyalty: When customers have an emotional connection to a brand, even competitors offer similar or better products at lower prices they are able to avoid switching sides.

• Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Customers who love your brand will never hesitate to refer it to others. An individual word-of-mouth referral creates trust, which is the foundation for sales.

• Higher Crisis Tolerance: True emotions will support brands much better than transactional relationships when facing difficulties, disasters, or public opinions.

• Premium Prices: Customers who have this bond with their brand are often happy to pay extra. Why? It’s their way of expressing that the brand has become part of them on an emotional or lifestyle level.

Key Emotional Branding Techniques

1. The Need to Feel Connected

Humans naturally crave connection and integration. By generating a community, brands tap into, which satisfies people’s demands for a tribe. When you join Harley-Davidson, you’re no longer just anyone; you’re part of the enterprise itself.

How to Do It:

• Start exclusive loyalty schemes.

• Actively involve customers and encourage them to network through attending events, dining together, or on shared experiences like travel to collectively support a certain location where people are proud.

• Likewise, regularly take part online in topics that matter less directly to you–such as social media sites, forums about your area of interest (say tennis or knitting), or virtual communities formed of individuals who share your profession or hobby.

2. Nostalgia and Personal Sentiment

Nothing can tug harder at heartstrings than moments gone by. Lots of brands look back to old times for stories that make people feel as if they’re watching a home movie. Here’s a classic example: Coca-Cola’s seasonal campaigns that commonly evoke treasured, timeless scenes with loved ones.

How To Do It:

• Tell stories which–hopefully–bring to mind universal experiences of warmth and happiness in the past life of nearly all adults. This can be done either by having a story centred around nostalgia, or one where something like basic human nature itself is depicted.

• Also score big by aligning your brand with local or historical milestones for cities which are important enough that anyone who lives there will know what you’re talking about right away.

3. Stories That Inspire

The last thing we need is another story about the brand. Instead, let’s focus on important thoughts and movements that have powered our business ever since its inception. Why are we telling these two very different stories?

Stories are somehow fascinating to human nature. When a brand can generate emotions, self-explanatory examples are always in vogue. Brand stories that the audience connect with, admire, or aspire to — Dove’s “True Beauty” campaign tells stories of real women and again drives discussion about self-acceptance.

How to Achieve This:

• Develop narratives that relate clutch struggles and victories of the human spirit to your mission statement.

• Use user-generated content.

• Share true customer stories that provide an added level of verisimilitude all round.

4. Inspire Change or Action

Tesla and Patagonia imprint on their brands the image of agents of change who lead the way in solving environmental and social problems. Consumers increasingly see their brand of choice as a reflection of one’s own values. This impels action and leads to an even deeper layer of customer fidelity.

How to Achieve This:

• Highlight your brand mission and its values in your brand advertising.

• Partner with causes that your target audience will agree resonate with them.

Examples of Successful Emotional Branding

• Apple: Apple is a hotbed of emotional branding, building a community devoted to high technology, knowledge, as well as individualism. No matter what product they’re selling, their ads are never just about specifications but also show people the potential it can unlock in their lives.

• Nike: Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign was not only a push to stretch human boundaries, it has become synonymous with that. By casting itself as the brand of hard work and success, Nike inspires athletes, professionals or just members of ordinary society to make bold moves forward in life.

• Airbnb: Airbnb’s tagline, “Belong Anywhere,” is a perfect example of emotional branding. A recurring theme in their campaigns is warmth and fellowship, drawing on people’s desire to be with others.

How to Create Emotional Branding for Your Business

Understand Your Audience from the Bottom

Understanding your audience’s feelings, values and what it hurts most is the first step in this process. Take surveys, interview or form a focus group for input.

Develop a Brand Character

How do you want your image to make people feel or what personality trait do you want it to show? Between fun, warm, cool, daring, decide this look and integrate it throughout all contact points–from the site to ads and social media.

Use Sensory Branding

Get in touch with the senses of your readers so that you bring forth an emotional response:

• Match your visual clues and colors to the temperament of your brand.

• Try sound (like melodies), even tactile sensations on product packaging.

Emotional Psychological

Get emotional storytelling into your content. Pass on customer testimonials, offer glimpses behind the scenes, or even reveal the obstacles your brand has surmounted.

Construct a Community

Give your customers a place where they can speak directly to themselves and to you. Whether this is online communities, special member privileges or interactive question and answer sessions they are participating in together as a group, build for scale and engagement.

Creating Emotional Connections That Last

Ultimately, emotional branding is about building a bridge between your brand and its audience through shared values, stories people can relate to, and authentic feelings. Companies that comprehend this psychology will distinguish one another in ways that no mere product trait or price reduction ever could.

Now is the time to begin incorporating emotional branding strategies into your marketing activities if you wish to develop a much closer relationship with your clientele.