Emotional Branding

There�s a famous quote from Maya Angelou that best explains this concept. It says: �People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.�

Gone are the days when people�s loyalty for a brand was based on its longevity. In the age of social media influencers and celebrity endorsements, the way in which people are connecting to brands is much different than the way they did earlier. The new wave of branding is dynamic and more sustainable than the tactics of past. Say hello to the new sheriff in the town of branding- Emotional Branding!

Emotional branding is establishing a brand�s voice to appeal straight to a consumer�s emotional state and needs. It appeals not only to the consumer�s logical mind but also to the consumer�s heart. �The old paradigm THINK � DO � FEEL has modified into FEEL � DO � THINK. People are now making decisions based on their feelings. This does not mean that the decision-making process lacks rationality. Rather, it signifies that emotions have acquired more importance in the purchasing process.

Emotional branding has come to the fore because companies have realized that people are tired of being sold to and it is more effective to connect to the audience at a deeper level instead of giving them a cold pitch.

As a management student I believe that the campaign #LikeAGirl by the company always is the perfect example of Emotional Branding. This campaign aimed at emotionally connecting with women and making them feel empowered and confident by busting the myths attached to femininity. Irrespective of the campaign being controversial, it managed to win an Emmy, a Cannes Grand Prix award, and the Grand Clio award.

Google�s �Year in Search� is another excellent example of Emotional Branding from my perspective. Google�s Year in Search digest sums up the most searched phrases each year and aims to create a feeling of a community based on the searches. While they often include polarizing search topics and events, Google always makes sure to highlight important moments that brought the world together and in the process, it builds the users� emotional connection to the brand.

Gillette�s �Perfect Isn�t Pretty� is yet another exemplar of Emotional Advertising Campaign is what I believe being from management domain. During the Rio Olympics 2016, Gillette released a video that highlighted four Olympic athletes. It showed that being a perfect, Olympic-worthy athlete takes a lot of sacrifice and pain. Though Gillette only sells razors, which are vaguely incorporated in the commercial, the brand created an emotional pull in its audience by aligning itself with the hard workers of the world. They elucidated the mission the brand stands behind and connected deeply with the audience.