We’ve all been there, you’re watching TV or scrolling through your phone and you see something that stops you in your tracks and makes you pay attention. It connects with you by triggering an emotion – be it nostalgia, happiness or shock – and it stays with you. It might change your opinion of a brand, make you want to find out more about a product or feel inspired to start up a conversation in your social circle.
So, what makes a campaign, be it an advert or a brand, emotive and why are we seeing more of it?
Branded content is everywhere, especially online. It used to annoy or interrupt us – an advert popping up with every click – and still does to an extent but now the difference is that we have more control over what we want to see and what we don’t. Because of this power, marketers have had to come up with ways of keeping their audiences engaged and earning their attention, and what better way to do that than honing in on someone’s emotions?
Why use emotive marketing in campaigns?
Emotive marketing connects with people and drives them towards an action. It humanises a company and breaks down barriers between a business and the consumer. For marketers, emotive marketing is a tool to add value to a service or product, build awareness, and over time can be used to build brand loyalty.
Emotive marketing allows you to be different, more creative and inspiring
Let’s look at Lloyds TSB Bank. In the last few years they decided to bring back their iconic black horse, a symbol that has been synonymous with the bank for so long. Recent advertisements have shown the horse galloping through real-life scenarios, the death of a family member, the birth of a baby and now showing people from different backgrounds coming together, all connected by this beautiful black horse.
The messaging, ‘by your side’ demonstrates their desire to emphasis trust and their continued and constant support to their customers, and the horse is used to symbolise that.
How do you do emotive marketing right?
Engaging marketing content is about storytelling. Storytelling engages with people and helps to create a connection with the brand. Telling a story can trigger a memory, which makes us connect to what we’re seeing. A powerful way to trigger these emotional connections is by using images, so think about what imagery you use alongside your words. Don’t set out to evoke a specific emotion, but aspire to create a reaction instead. For example, if you want to sell a product, think about how using it makes your customers feel and reflect that in your marketing.
When it comes to emotive marketing, you need to know exactly what message you want to communicate, what channel you are going to use to reach your audience and the tone you’re trying to convey. The key is to engage with the customers you already have, and connect with the ones who you want to attract.
Interested in reading more about emotive marketing and brand humanisation? Check out our previous blog post on The pitfalls of ‘honesty’.
Want to create content that will connect with you with your customers? Get in touch with Aneela to find out how we can help.
