Emotion in Branding is a game changer. Imagine you are a newbie in the industry. Let’s say you prepare and sell pet toys made of cotton and wood. You name your brand as ‘Toy Tails’! The name helps the audience to understand that you are selling toys for animals with tails i.e. pets. Now let’s give your brand a tagline as well. “Toys for every pet”; is a pretty decent tagline. Now let’s see what Emotion in Branding can do.
Let’s rename the brand- ‘Bite-Friendly’. Boom!! Now that name can catch some good attention. What exactly is this brand? What on earth is bite-friendly? What exactly are they selling? All these questions pop into the minds of the Zero Moment of Truth audience. (Don’t know what ZMOT is? Read this) When they finally hear about your products, the name triggers harder. All pet parents are worried about their pets playing with plastic toys, especially constantly chewing their plastic toys. You hit straight on their pain point. Now let’s rethink the tagline. “Because Their Love Isn’t Artificial!” Awww!! Just what every pet parent loves the most about their pet. If your pet loves you with a 100% pure heart, why not give it a 100% pure and natural toy to play with? I know this is a bang-on example to make you all understand the importance of Emotion in Branding. But hey, scroll down please, I have more Gyaan to give you all 😉
Let’s first learn how many types of emotions are there. There are generally considered to be six basic emotions: happiness, sadness, fear, ego, anger, and surprise. Some brands emphasize happiness and some emphasize fear. Like if you keenly notice Apple’s branding campaigns, they produce a FOMO where you really feel like you have to have access to every latest technology innovation introduced by a tech giant like Apple. Another example is where Cadbury (Mondelez International) has their brand identity standing on Full Of Emotions!
5 Tips to Use Emotion in Branding for Gaining Customer Loyalty:
1. Empathy, the Heartbeat of Emotional Branding
Before jumping into any promotional activity, I always make sure that I and my team have identified the end user’s state of mind. Let’s say your product is a cream for pigmentation. There are many brands in the market claiming to remove pigmentation from your face. Some simply convey the effectiveness of the product and ensure great results, some storify a bit where the users are told not to worry anymore, and some try to tell their audience that their pigmentation is a huge problem and they should seek help immediately. All work well. But if the brand says that our anti-pigmentation cream will bring back your original beauty, it hits harder. We are indirectly saying that you are beautiful. It’s just that the pollution has started affecting your beauty. We are removing that pigmentation. It builds a feeling of getting understood.
Let’s take another example. Suppose yours is a product that you think cannot be related to any emotions. For instance, a drilling machine! You must be wondering what emotions can be triggered while selling a drilling machine. Here is the trick. Who is the potential buyer? A carpenter, woodworker, electrician, plumber, etc. Now what matters the most to these people is to drill that perfect hole, not too big, not too small, not too deep, and no embarrassment after cracking the wall/pipe/wood while drilling. Hit those emotions and you win the game! For instance; “Your Art Needs A Perfect Hole”.
2. The Colorful Symphony of Emotion in Branding
Let me go a bit off-track. Have you all watched the Hindi movie Dil Chahta Hai? If you notice, they have predominantly used colors like Blue, Green, White, Orange, and other fresh colors. This was done to represent youth, to smartly put the essence of youthfulness in the minds of the audience. That’s a good color study and implementation.
Understanding your audience’s color psychology plays a great role here. Consider the nature of your products, your brand’s convictions, your brand voice, and most importantly the color trend going on. Different colors evoke different emotions.
Learn Branding With Examples!
Though red represents anger and danger, it firmly represents Passion, Fearlessness, and energy. That’s why Coca-Cola has been loyal to the Red Color.
Photo Credits: https://www.coca-cola.com/in/en/brands/coca-cola
Curious about Food Branding? Hop on this amazing Blog>> Food & Beverages Branding & Logo Design- An On-Demand Guide!
3. Keep It Relevant & Relatable:
Wish to portray your brand as the most appealing and memorable? Try making it more relevant and relatable. Every word of your brand communication can be relevant content and messaging that resonates with the audience’s current needs and interests. Making your audience believe that the brand understands their problems, preferences, and values is a game-changer.
Your brand’s USPs and UVPs matter the most. You can use those in building trust and relevancy. Make sure the USPs and UVPs are built on the base of relatableness. Establishing a brand that feels like home is a long process. Audience should relate with the brand and feel like their go-to brand; like Go To Clan for Branding and Website/App Building 😉
Learn Branding With Examples!
Nike: Their “Just Do It” campaign resonated with athletes and non-athletes alike, promoting perseverance.
Dove: The “Real Beauty” campaign showcased women of all sizes, ages, and races, challenging beauty standards.
4. Give Them a Solid Brand Story to Experience:
People love reading stories. If your brand has a solid story, then it’s awesome! But if your brand does not have a story that touches the hearts of your audience, it is absolutely alright! Faking a story does not make any sense. For example, a software development company can have a simple story that a group of 3 young friends holding different skill sets took a decision to form a company. This story might not engage others.
But if you have a story or wish to draft a solid story for your audience, I can give you some tips.
- Make your consumer the hero of your brand story
- Emotion in branding activities is a must
- Establish a problem first
- Tell them what unique solution you have
- Make them feel valued
Learn Branding With Examples!
Lego: Celebrates the power of imagination. Through their colorful bricks, they promote the idea that anyone, whether a child or an adult, can create anything they envision.
Photo Credits: https://assets.lego.com/logos/v4.5.0/brand-lego.svg
Starbucks: More than just coffee, they emphasize community and connection. Their cafes are positioned as a “third place” between work and home where people can relax and connect.
5. Be Consistent in Your Brand Message Conveying:
Be it social media, website copy, TV commercials, online ads, blogs, articles, or even employee manuals, make sure you are maintaining consistency in your brand communication. Not just text, but emotion in branding can also be shown through visuals. Again, the same example, is Nike. Nike’s visual game is so strong and they never miss a chance to convey how strong they want their consumers to be. How successful they want their audience to be. They are not focusing on athletes only.
The biggest benefit of maintaining consistency in the brand message is that you get to build a certain image of your brand in the mind of your audience. You get to paint your brand presence the way you want. Make sure you do it smartly.
Learn Branding With Examples!
McDonald’s: Their “I’m Lovin’ It” slogan and the Golden Arches logo are universally recognized. The messaging revolves around quick, enjoyable meals.
Final Thoughts:
Emotion in branding is the best tool in today’s advertisement and marketing campaigns. By understanding the power of emotion in branding, brands can build lasting relationships with their consumers driving to a healthy relationship. Understand their POV, try to relate to their pain points, figure out how you can deliver them the best solution, and how to make them feel at home.
If you wish to experience and bring a load of emotions to your branding strategy, contact Go To Clan!