Emotional Branding

“People spend money when and where they feel good” – Walt Disney

A Brand is something that encapsulates the key features of your product

– its image, usage and price – in an easily recognizable and interesting
form. And so goes the contemporary definition. Wake up folks to the
realm of emotional branding. Most managers seem to have missed out,
the importance emotional branding have on their products. Like a B1
bomber campaigning in a war torn area, the ad agencies bombard the
customer with advertisements in print and television with massive
proposition that the consumer tends to miss out the brand. As Kevin
Kelly once noted, “the only factor becoming scarce in a world of
abundance is human attention.” Rather than huge advertisements and
image or brand awareness, branding boils down to how a product makes
a customer feel and that is where emotional branding comes in and that
is where the competitive edge also comes in.

How many of us have heard or seen advertisements of the popular

website search engine Google.com? How did it become so popular? The
simple answer is emotional branding. The simple answer is emotional
branding. Google was able to create an emotional assurance in the
consumers mind that his every search for information wouldn’t go
unserved. It has been widely accepted for years that brands offer
psychological and social benefits. These benefits go beyond the features
and function of a particular product; they extend to the overall customer
experience and the lingering psychological and emotional aspects of the
brand. The reliability, pace and depth of service all strengthened the
‘Google’ brand. Google’s founder Sergey Bin once remarked,

“Google actually relies on our users to help with our marketing. We have
a very high percentage of our users who often tell others about our
search engine.” The emphasis that Sergey Bin places on emotional
branding is crystal clear. Surf, Pears, Maruti, Titan, TATA are all brands
that people have come to trust and love because they have not only
delivered exceptional products but a great experience to go with them.

Key Mandates for Emotional Branding

These key mandates illustrate the difference between traditional concepts

of brand awareness and the emotional dimensions a brand needs to
express to become preferred.

From Consumers to People:

Consumers buy, People live.

In marketing circles, “consumers” are often categorized by the
terminologies like breaking down the defenses of customers,
stratergising to win the battle etc. This view of consumer as an “enemy”
is rather detrimental. A better way is to create a desire in a customer in a
positive manner without harassing them. This can be achieved by using a
win-win partnership approach based on a relationship of mutual respect.
After all, the consumer is our best source of information.

From Product to Experience:

Product fulfill needs, experiences fulfill desires.

Customers buying just for need are driven by price and convenience. A
product or shopping experience such as Kemp Fort at Bangalore (where
shoppers can share a light moment with the cartoon characters outside
the store), has added value and will remain in consumers emotional
memory as a connection made on a level for beyond need. A product can
be old and new at the same time if it continues to have emotional
relevance for consumers.

From Honesty to Trust:

Honesty is the best policy. Truth is even better. It needs to be earned.

Honesty is required to be in business today. The govt. authorities,
consumer groups and the people in general have an increasingly rigorous
standard for products and will rate very quickly what needs to be on
shelf and what doesn’t. The issue regarding the presence of pesticide
levels over the permissible limit in the soft drink Coca-Cola has really
deteriorated the trust people had in the brand. In Mumbai, both Coke and
Pepsi has been suffering from this account. Trust is one of the most
important values of a brand and it requires real effort from corporations.
One of the most powerful moves towards building consumer trust was
retailer’s implementation of the “no questions asked” return policy some
years ago. This strategy brings total comfort to customers and gives them
the upper hand in their choices. A very smart decision indeed.

From Quality to Preference

Quality is a necessary offering if you want to stay in business; it is

expected and had better be delivered. Preference toward a brand is the
real connection to success. Trigger (Jeans brand) is a quality brand, but it
has currently lost its preferential status. Amul is a brand that has
achieved an enviable and highly charged emotional connection with
consumers today. There is no stopping a brand when it is preferred.

From Notoriety to Aspiration

Being known does not mean that you are also loved!
Notoriety is what gets you known. But if you want to be desired, you
must convey something that is in keeping with the customer's
aspirations. Reliance Industries is a household name in India with
operations in a wide area covering petrochemicals, refining, textiles,
telecom etc. But the company’s recent malpractices in the telecom
sector (where TDSAT imposed a fine of Rs.150 crore to be paid to
Department of Telecom) are not something that a customer would aspire
emotionally. So more than visibility, a brand has to be inspirational.

From Identity To Personality

Identity is recognition. Personality is about character and charisma!
Identity is descriptive. It is recognition. Personality is about character
and charisma. Brand identities are unique and express a point of
difference on the competitive landscape. They have a charismatic
character that provokes an emotional response. BSNL has a strong
identity, but Airtel has personality.

From Function to Feel

Functionality of a product can become stale if its appearance and usage
are not also designed for the senses. Creating product identification by
stressing product benefits is only relevant if product innovations are
memorable and exciting to consumers. The Apple iMac and Gillette
razors are brands that are focused on presenting fresh shapes and sensory
experiences consumers appreciate.

From Communication to Dialogue

Communication, as conducted by many companies, is primarily about
information-and information is generally a one-way proposition.
Communication is telling. Dialogue is sharing. Real dialogue implies a
two-way street, a conversation with the consumer. Progress in digital
media is now allowing this evolution to take place, and finally will help
foster a rewarding partnership between people and corporations.

From Service to Relationship

"If we greet customers, exchange a few extra words with them and then
custom make a drink exactly to their taste, they will be eager to come
back." - Howard Shultz, CEO of Starbucks. Service involves a basic
level of efficiency in a commercial exchange. But relationship means
that the brand representatives really seek to understand and appreciate
who their customers are. It is what you feel when you walk into a ‘Music
World’ store and find that the music, the decor, and the salespeople all
speak the same language-the customer's! It is the new expectation. Who
does not feel special when someone in a store or restaurant welcomes
you by your own name! The emotional component of a true relationship
does matter! So Emotional Branding is the new mantra. As Mike
McKnight said,
“People don’t really care how much you know until they know how
much you care.”