Emotional Branding

Maximizing the Appeal of Your Brand To Hispanic Youth

Presented at The Marketing to Hispanic Youth Conference 2002

Who We Are
! Max Gallegos, Director Marketing USA, McDonalds

Corporation
! Andres, Muoz, Sr. Account Supervisor, Del Rivero

Messianu
! C&R Research " Cathy Combs, Vice President, Brand Essence Specialist " Ina Mier y Teran Sheppard, Director of Bicultural Research " Miguel Gomez, Analyst for Latin America and US Hispanic Markets
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C&R Specialties

LatinoEyes

Hispanic Research*

C&R Qualitative Services

Global Research Capabilities

(*most dominant)

Workshop Overview
! The Power of Emotional Branding ! Tapping Into the Emotional Chords of Hispanic Kids ! Where to Begin ! Hispanic Teen Panel: What Kind of Emotional

Connections Do Hispanic Teens Have With Your Brand?

The Power of Emotional Branding

An Insightful Quote
Powerful emotional currents exist as part of the human condition. Human beings are in fact the most complex emotional concepts that God has created. ...Great brands find relevant ways to tap the emotional drivers that already reside deep within all of us.
~ Scott Bedbury, A New Brand World

The Premise
! Human beings have powerful emotional drivers within

us that shape who we are and how we interact with the world.
! These chords are often universal and resonate

across broad audiences.

Maslows Hierarchy of Needs

Self Actualization Needs
(Maximizing my potential/ making a difference)

Esteem Needs
(Feeling special, setting myself apart from others)

Social Needs
(Feeling loved, being accepted)

Safety Needs
(Being safe and protected)

Physiological Needs
(Satisfying basic needs)
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Defining Emotional Branding

! Emotional branding is a marketing approach where

companies tap into these often latent emotional needs to forge a compelling (and hopefully long-lasting!) relationship between a brand and a consumer.

Why Bring In Emotion?

! Without developing such a connection, a brand can

only compete based on functional virtues.

Creating a Primal Urge

! Establishing emotional connections with brands also

negates the need for rational comparisons.

! Brand preferences simply become primal.

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The Best Example Is Love

! We choose our partners not necessarily based

upon what they can literally do for us, but how they make us feel about ourselves.

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Bonding With Brands

! The same is true for brands. ! Consumers are drawn to brands that help satisfy

often subconscious emotional needs.

! Brand affinity is particularly powerful when brands

tap into multiple synergistic emotional chords.

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Adult World Examples of Emotional Branding

Betty Crocker

Self Actualization Needs* Esteem Needs* Social Needs Safety Needs Physiological Needs*

Betty Crocker is about becoming a good cook and an even better mom

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Adult World Examples of Emotional Branding

Capn Morgan Rum

Self Actualization Needs* Esteem Needs* Social Needs Safety Needs Physiological Needs*

Capn Morgan is about being a real man and setting myself apart from the crowd

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Adult World Examples of Emotional Branding

Deans Easy

Self Actualization Needs* Esteem Needs* Social Needs Safety Needs Physiological Needs*

Deans Easys real milk persona means Im no longer a social outcast

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Emotional Branding and Kids

! Kids are no different in terms of harboring these

basic emotional needs.

! Although which emotional needs influence brand

preferences varies significantly by:

" " "

"

age gender the context in which a product is used (public versus private) the childs actual relationship to the category (my stuff versus my parents domain)
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The Crux of These Differences

Biology & society

The scope of my world

Where Im at developmentally

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The Impact of Ethnicity

! Certainly the fact that a child is Hispanic also affects

the types of emotional relationships he or she forges with specific brands.

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Culture & Value Systems

Influencing Factors

Socio-economics

Realities related to straddling nationalities

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Kids Are Kids

! Yet its critical to point out that, first and foremost,

kids are kids.

! So to really resonate among Hispanic kids, branding

efforts must tap into kid-specific emotional chords as well as Hispanic-specific emotional chords.

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The Foundation and the Walls

Things I relate to or care about because Im Hispanic Things I relate to or care about because Im a kid

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The Power of Emotional Branding

McDonalds and Hispanic Kids

Tapping Into the Emotional Chords of Hispanic Kids

The Opportunity
! Successfully tapping into the

emotional chords of Hispanic kids can be a very rewarding, but challenging, marketing endeavor.

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Starting With Kid Drivers

! While kids are kids, the emotional drivers that

influence how kids actual relate to brands varies significantly by age and by gender.

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Boys and Girls 6-7 years (1st - 2nd Grade)

The Pleasure Seekers
Scope of My World

! Small, but expanding - home, school,

activities, grandmas
! Family - parents, siblings and relatives ! Media - TV, videos (girls) and video games

Major Influencers

(boys)

! Friends - peers
Kids Relationships to Brands

! Experiential - Not conceptual ! Limited ability to understand - May use as

a label to describe a product

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Primary Emotional Chords

Kids Ages 6-7

! Having fun ! Feeling needed

! Having fun ! Overcome fear/

and loved

feeling powerful loved/accepted by parents own

! Making girlfriends

beyond mom and dad up/competent

! While still feeling

! Feeling grown-

! Standing on my

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Boys and Girls 8-9 years (3rd - 4th Grade)

The Explorers
Scope of My World
! Grows exponentially - my home, my friends homes, school,

organized activities, social activities

! Friends - peers, older siblings of friends ! Family - siblings and parents ! Media - TV, music(girls), video games and Internet (9+ yr.

Major Influencers

boys)
Kids Relationships to Brands
! Get the concept of brands - And begin to give brands

weight
! Brands help me fit in - Fitting in by owning whats in ! Brands reflect attitudes and aspirations - Boys favor

rebellious brands while girls gravitate towards brands that denote fashion 28

Primary Emotional Chords

Kids Ages 8-9

! Fitting in with my

peers

! Feeling like Im the

best

! Fantasizing about

who I want to be mom and dads little girl

! Demonstrating to ! Being able to

others Im no baby regress privately

! Yet still feeling like

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Boys and Girls 10-12 years (5th - 7th Grade)

Different Gender Agendas
Scope of My World
! Richer - even more expansive, with many more reciprocal

relationships

! Yet cliquey - Beginning to seek same interest peer groups ! Friends - especially ones significant peer group

Major Influencers

! Family - older siblings and parents ! Other Adults - coaches and teachers ! Media - music, TV and special interest magazines

Kids Relationships to Brands

! Image is everything - And brands can help me create a

popular public persona

! Girls especially connected to maturity brands - Brands that

connote Im a teen versus a tween caring about brands

! Important transitional age for boys - Boys start really

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Primary Emotional Chords

Kids Ages 10-12

! Social acceptance ! Feeling attractive to

! Being recognized

boys out

for my specific skills and abilities connected to my male friends out

! (11+) Need to chill ! Appearing to be in

! Yet staying

charge of my life

! (11+) Need to chill

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Boys and Girls 13-16 years (8th - 11th Grade)

The Independence Seekers
Scope of My World Major Influencers
! Still broad, but gaining focus- Scope defined by personal

passions and interests

! Friends - my clique (both boys and girls) ! Family - parents and siblings ! Other Adults - coaches and teachers ! Media - music, movies, TV, Internet and special interest

magazines

Kids Relationships to Brands

! Extremely important - Especially with constantly evolving

brands and brands that are sanctioned by the clique just kids my age

! Brand relationships become personal - They reflect me, not ! Brands also serve as badges of individual passions -

Symbols that convey to others what Im all about

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Primary Emotional Chords

Kids Ages 13 -16

! Projecting the image ! Focusing on skills and interests I like/do well of my clique ! Feeling grownup
! Feeling grownup and

and making my own decisions me as an individual stresses of my dayto-day life

making my own decisions my clique

! Projecting the image of ! Being attractive to girls ! Escaping stresses

! Having others see

! Escaping from the

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Hispanic-Specific Emotional Chords

! In addition, Hispanic kids harbor emotional chords

that are specific to their experience.

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Additional Emotional Chords

! A yearning to stay connected to family and heritage ! Successfully straddling childhood and culture ! Living the American Dream ! (Kids 9+ years of age) Being viewed as independent

adults

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A Yearning to Stay Connected to Family

! To Hispanic kids, families

not only represent a emotional safe haven, but are an important identity touchstone as well.

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Connection Barriers
! Yet circumstances often limit how

much one-on-one time these kids actually get with important family members:
" " "

"

Families often large Dad works hard Nor does mom really fit into my American world Broader definition of family

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A Global Perspective of Family

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A Yearning to Stay Connected to Culture

! Cultural pride also is a huge emotional chord

with Hispanic kids.

"

"

Heritage sets Hispanic kids apart, making them feel special and unique Heritage also provides a shared experience that can deepen relationships

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From Melting Pot to Crock Pot

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Mastering Straddling
! Successfully straddling childhood and

culture is another important emotional chord.

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The Rewards and Challenges of Being Bicultural

! Sets me apart ! Provides me with a ! Stress of bouncing

strong sense of who I am more fun!)

back and forth between two very different worlds

! More holidays (and ! Getting to visit my

! Acting as culture

scout and interpreter for mom and dad between nations

relatives back home

! Split allegiances

! (Girls) The novellas

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Living The American Dream

! Doing better socio-economically than my

parents have done is another prominent emotional chord.

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The Path to the Dream

Family Support

Hard Work

Education

Bilingual Skills

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Seeing Me As a Responsible Adult

! Because of socioeconomic and cultural realities,

Hispanic kids also seem to grow up faster than than American kids.
! They want to feel grownup and in control.

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A Glimpse Into the World of Hispanic Kids

Where to Begin

How To Go About It
! With qualitative research, of course! ! And using the standard procedure: " Defining your target.
Who, what age, grade, level of assimilation, country of origin.
"

Designing the method.

One on ones? Friendship pairs? Mini groups? Full groups?

"

Talking to/interviewing your target.

How? What techniques do we use?

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Research With Latino Youth

! Research with Latino youth may not be a standard

procedure for many of you, however.

! And there are important considerations. ! Although, if you have experience conducting research

with youth in general, youre ahead of the game.

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Research With Latino Youth

! Research with Latino youth is just like research with

general market youth

! But there is a bit more you should know.

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The Screening Process

Method
! So what design do I use? ! Here are some rules of thumb: " Depends on the age of the target! " But more importantly, look at the grade.
Separating elementary kids, from middle, and high school kids

is a critical distinction to make. Remember divisions should be made by lifestyle and peer group.

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Method
"

Boys and girls, most definitely, and if your study warrants it, but not together.
Separately boys and girls feel more at ease with each other,

and thus with the interview process. Peer groups are important, and until they reach young adulthood, separating them by gender garners more favorable results.

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Method
"

"

You want to ensure that they are as similar from a demographic perspective, as possible. Therefore, Latino kids should also share the same level of assimilation if brought in to talk about themselves in pairs or groups and if the issue of culture and heritage is important to the researcher, and relevant to the study.

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Assimilation
! Personal and household language preference " Language is key.
Ultimately knowing the subjects language preference tells you

what you need to use to communicate with him or her. And to brand them to your product emotionally, this knowledge is critical. There is certainly an emotional tie to language for bilingual and bicultural people.

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Assimilation
Its advantageous to identify the language they not only feel

most comfortable with, but also what they are accustomed to speaking and/or prefer in different situations:

At school With my parents With my siblings TV/Radio Shopping Etc.

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Assimilation
Also, talking to them in their comfort language is critical to

a productive interview. As mentioned, kids need to be on the same level. This is why the primary household language should also be the same for all in a group.
Is the household Spanish or English-dominant? Often this is more important than the number of years the family has resided in the U.S.

In a group setting it is even more important. It also makes it

easier for all to participate.

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Assimilation
"

Country of origin.
While an important distinction to make, and keeping in mind

that grouping kids who are similar demographically is desirable--our sense is that American-born Latino kids are less discriminating with regard to country of origin than adults in general or foreign-born Latinos kids specifically. For interviewing a pair of kids, for example, friendship is more important than where their families are from. Sharing Latino values is important too, but whether the place of origin is Ecuador or Mexico is not as critical.

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Assimilation
"

Number of years in the U.S. (either personally or for the parents) should be taken into account.
Knowledge of length of time in this country gives the

researcher a sense for how exposed subjects are to products or brands available in their native countries versus in the U.S. This context is important when the goal is to emotionally brand, because it tells the researcher what stage to begin with:

Are we ready to brand emotionally, or should we educate the consumer first?

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Assimilation
"

Media usage
Another indicator of assimilation is media usage--particularly

TV viewership. What is the percentage of time watching Spanish-language versus English-language TV? What is the preference overall? What type of programming would they choose if they were the sole decision-maker? What commercials do they like? Identify with? Can they recite or sing along to?

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Assimilation
"

And again, what is the households media usage like?

Kids might prefer English-language TV, but they may be

watching quite a few hours of Spanish-language TV as well.

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The Method
! Guidelines for designing qualitative research with

Latino youth:
" "

How do you break these out? And how long should they last? Rememberthese are general guidelines only.

"

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The Method
! For the very young (post Kindergarten, 5-6 year-

olds):
" "

Friendship pairs or triads No longer than 45 minutes

Feels safer to both children Accustomed to sharing ideas and opinions with their friends An opportunity for the researcher to observe the pair as they

discuss a product, likes and dislikes, interests, etc. Caution: the tradeoff is often getting only one opinion

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The Method
! For tweens (elementary school, 8-10 year-olds): " Friendship pairs " Small to mid-size groups: 4-6 kids for 7 and 8 year-olds, 6-8 for 9-10 year olds " 45 minutes-1 1/2 hours

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The Method
! For preteens (middle school, 11-12 year-olds) " Small to mid-size groups (4-8 kids) " 1 to 1 1/2 hours

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The Method
! Teenagers (high school, 13-17 year-olds) " Definitely important to split by grade (driving changes everything) " Small-to mid-size groups: 4-6 kids if the topic is personal, otherwise, 8 respondents as a general rule works well " 2 hours max

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Techniques
! Kids under 8 " Not conceptual yet--very literal, thus: " Getting to brand personalities is a challenge. " Exploring their relationships to products is more effective. " Sometimes observing kids, or interviewing their parents and teachers can be fruitful. " Mind-mapping: top of mind associations to a topic/product works well. " Simple ranking exercises ("#) are also appropriate.
Physically being able to rank products against a scale works

best.
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Techniques
! Kids 8 - 10 " Begin to understand brands. " Adjective card sorts to assign a personality to a brand are effective at this age. " More complex ratings (e.g., whats cool, whats for kids like you, etc.) start to work. " Brand-printing using an array of familiar, yet limited, categories: dogs, etc.

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Techniques
! After age 10, kids become much more conceptual --

and thus the researcher can use more sophisticated techniques to get further below the surface level:
"

"

Profile sheets: assign a personality to a brand by telling me what it would be like as a person. Every aspect of that person is mapped out. Brand-printing more complex categories: animals, etc.

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Techniques
! At age 14+, teens are almost at the adult level in terms

of their ability to embrace complex projectives.

"

"

Photo safari (sorting photos of objects and people, that speak to various brand personalities. Objects and imagery related to what a brand says about me.

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Homework Exercises
! These work well, because homework allows the child to

think about the subject or topic prior to the interview-and sometimes that can work for us--and add richness to the analysis:
"

"

"

Drawing pictures that represent how they might feel about a product, brand, etc. Bringing photographs of themselves using a particular product. Selecting objects that reflect a product or brands attributes.

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Quantitative
! 35 million (not including illegals)
"

3rd largest population of Latinos in the world

! 60% from Mexico ! Youngest segment (26 is median age) ! 650 billion in purchasing power ! About 50% unassimilated ! Puerto Ricans and South/Central Americans in

Northeast
! Cubans and South/Central Americans in Southeast ! Mexicans in the Central US and West Coast
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Quantitative
! Our Recommended Approach " 50% unassimilated " Use a geographically dispersed sample that allows you to talk to all types of Hispanics (Mexicans, Colombians, etc.) " 40% male (in some cases)

! RECOMMENDED FOR ALL STUDIES: use the

Census ethnicity question

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Now Lets Talk To Some Real Live Teens About:

!Who they are !What they like to do !What their heritage means to them !Your brands

Hispanic Teens Panel