Emotional Branding: How to Connect With Customers Digitally

In today’s competitive digital landscape, consumers are inundated with information, offers, and advertising. Many companies fall to the wayside amid the digital noise; brands that can make an emotional connection with their audience will stand apart—and they will build loyalty. This is where emotional branding, informed by neuroscience, has the potential to be transformational. 

What is Emotional Branding? 

Emotional branding is a marketing strategy whereby a brand seeks to create meaningful connections between a brand and their audience by appealing to consumer’s emotions, values and aspirations. It is not only focused on selling a product or service; it creates a feeling or memory and a personal story.

 

The Neuroscience of Emotional Branding 

Our brains are predisposed to emotion-based decision-making before logic. Neuroscience research now shows: 

• 95% of purchase decisions are done subconsciously, based on emotion, as opposed to rationality.
• Emotions, namely, the limbic system, are crucial in building brand perceptions in consumers.
• Emotionally charged experiences are more likely to be stored in long-term memory than neutral experiences, so emotionally connected brands are more likely to be remembered.

How to Use Emotional Branding in the Digital Space

Here are some proven ways to apply emotional branding in digital marketing:

 

1. Understand Your Audience On A Deeper Level 

Use data and analytics to know what potential customers want, fear, and what causes them pain. The more you know your customers, the easier it is to develop buyer personas that focus on emotional triggers, instead of demographics.  

 

2. Tell a Story, Not a Sales Pitch

People love stories. Whether that’s through a short video, a customer testimonial, or a blog post, share real stories that connect your brand’s purpose and story. 

 

3. Use Visuals, Cues and Emotional Cues

Colors, music, and visuals all influence our psychology. As an example, the color blue makes people physiological trust, while the color red could compel people into the feeling of urgency, and excitement. Pick visuals, colors, or sounds that evoke the feelings you want the customer to have.

 

4. Utilize User-Generated Content

When customers share their experiences, the emotional trust and connection is built. Ask customers for reviews, testimonials, or post on social media with real stories about their experience with your brand.

 

5. Be Consistent & Authentic

Being consistence with phrasing, imagery, and value stream communicates to the customer that you’re a brand they can trust. When customers feel connected to an authentic and reliable brand, emotional bonds are formed. 

 

Brands That Are Great At Emotional Branding 

• Apple: Comes to customers as a seller of innovation and creativity, not a seller of electronics. 
• Nike: Inspires personal achievement and importance through its, “Just do it!” mantra.
• Coca-Cola: Happiness, celebration, personal, shared moments. 

Final Thoughts

In a digital world where consumer attention is fleeting at best, emotional branding is imperative. If you understand human brain function and understand your own audience’s emotions, you can build deeper connections, create loyalty, and differentiate in the marketplace provide value to your audience and sell products.