Sep 29, 2023
Welcome to the Random Thought post! I have lightly touched on this topic before, but today, I want to dive deeper into the crucial importance of establishing an emotional connection with your target customers or users, especially in the context of the digital economy. It is important to note that this post is more relevant for consumer products and services, as purchase decisions for B2B products are much more rational, making emotional marketing much less relevant.
A quick glance across the digital marketplace reveals a glaring trend: most websites and applications lack the ability to engage consumers emotionally. They often use visual elements like images and videos, but these primarily focus on showcasing what they offer rather than eliciting any emotional response, with some even can be seen as random.
This starkly contrasts with the principles of traditional marketing in the offline world, which aimed to immerse consumers in emotions and experiences tied to their products or services.
Recognizing the Imperative of Emotional Marketing
I must emphasize how detrimental it can be for B2C businesses and brands to neglect emotional engagement with consumers. Establishing that emotional bond is paramount. While it's essential to highlight your product's features and advantages, it's equally critical to forge a profound emotional connection. Without it, true consumer loyalty cannot be established, and your products or services will be perceived as mere commodities, easily replaceable by a better offer. Consider the example of Apple, with its incredibly loyal following that's willing to even spend their life savings onto its products (of course we do not condone such behavior).
In the digital realm, there's no excuse for not engaging in emotional marketing, given the abundant low costs space and opportunities available, such as your own website where consumers no doubt visit. Unlike the traditional offline world, brands are restricted and limited by its environment to engage its consumers, such as the limited time and costly TV ads for instance. In the online world, there are unlimited space and opportunities in websites and social media platforms for brands to creatively devise marketing tactics and strategies that engages its consumers emotionally. Despite these advantages, many businesses do not seem to realize this opportunity.
Ultimately, it needs to begin with businesses recognizing the pivotal role of emotional engagement with their customers and subsequently commit to invest, create, and execute it.
Commence with Research
Of course, building a strong emotional bond with your target customers is easier said than done. So, how do you go about it? It starts with gaining a comprehensive understanding of your target customers, especially what motivates them and what triggers their emotions concerning your products or services. Conduct qualitative consumer research, such as ethnographic diaries, in-depth interviews, or focus groups, is a good starting point. These methods involve engaging your target customers in candid and in-depth discussions about their broader life perspectives and goals and how your products or services contribute to achieving those aspirations. Ideally, this research should paint a detailed picture of your target customers' personas, encompassing demographics, life attitudes, goals, dreams, and how your offerings impact their lives.
The next step after understanding your target customers emotionally is to reflect on your business or brand. Identify the values and benefits your company or product offers that align with your customers' life goals and dreams. These are the values you should emphasize. For instance, if your target customers aspire to lead a luxurious life and gain self-confidence by showcasing their luxury, and if your business or products possess luxurious attributes, then "luxury" or "premium" can be the core values to focus on.
Maintain Consistency in Execution
To execute this strategy effectively, ensure that every consumer touchpoint, whether it's your website, social media, or any other channel, reflects the identified brand values consistently. Everything you present on these touchpoints should resonate with your brand's values, be it through visuals, audio, or other sensory cues. It's crucial to maintain unwavering consistency to engrain these values in your target consumers' minds.
Additionally, consider two key points when devising your emotional marketing strategy:
Storytelling: As I have discussed in a previous post ("Storytelling – a powerful way to bring your brand to life in today’s digital environment"), storytelling is one of the most effective ways to connect with consumers emotionally, when done correctly. This is best conveyed through video, where you tell your company's story and inspire consumers to join your journey. The Golden Circle Theory emphasizes that consumers don't buy what a company does but why it does it. So, align your company's mission with the values that resonate with your consumers and share that story with them.
Authenticity: Unlike the popular saying, “fake it until you make it”, don’t do that! Avoid creating brand values that consumers desire but that your business, brand, or products don't genuinely embody. In today's digital world, consumers are highly discerning and wary of scams. They can spot inauthenticity from a mile away. Be true to who you are and market your authentic self.
Finally, it's worth noting that the world of technology is evolving rapidly. Technologies like virtual reality, as seen in the recent interview between Lex Fridman and Mark Zuckerberg, have the potential to revolutionize emotional marketing. The ability to create lifelike, immersive experiences in the digital realm opens up exciting possibilities for brands looking to forge deeper emotional connections with their audiences. So keep an eye out for that. We truly live in exciting time!
This is actually a computer generated graphics of their faces. Very real huh?
Well, that’s all I have to share this week. As usual, make sure you follow us on our LinkedIn page as we consistently put out content. And again, be on the look out for our first ever podcast, I sure hope you will like it, and find it to be helpful. With that said, enjoy!
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