EMOTIONAL BRANDING

MAHARISHI ARVIND INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGYENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

PROJECT REPORT ON:

EMOTIONAL BRANDINGEMOTIONAL BRANDING

SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:

C.D.SHARMA PUSHPA DHANJANI

FMS-M.A.I.E.T MBA SEM II

2009-2011

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EMOTIONAL BRANDING

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:-

It gives me immense pleasure to present the project report on “Emotional Branding”. It was

totally a different and wonderful experience to work on this project.

I am thankful to Ms. Prabhati Rathore mam for her support and guidance provided through the completion of the project.

I am also thankful to all of them who have directly or indirectly supported me for the completion of this project. I would like to say extremely thanks to all my faculty members of Maharishi Arvind Institute of Engineering & Technology Mansarovar, Jaipur.

And finally I am thankful to librarian mam that helped me in getting resources for secondary

information.

Pushpa Dhanjani

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CONTENTS:-

INTRODUCTION

BRAND

BRAND DIFFERENCE

NEED OF BRANDING

EMOTIONAL BRANDING

A NEW REALIZATION

TOUCHING THE HEART

EMOTIONAL SATISFACTION

MAKE YOUR CUSTOMER SMILE

COLOR BRANDING

EXAMPLE QUOTED

TOOLS FOR EMOTIONAL BRANDING

CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT

PUNCHLINE AND TAGLINES

CRITERIA THAT GOVERN EMOTIONAL BRANDING.

LINK BETWEEN EMOTIONS AND BRAND LOYALTY.

CLASSIFICATION OF BRAND ON THE BASIS OF APPEAL.

UNDERSTANDING THE BENEFITS OF EMOTIONAL BRANDING.

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HOW TO MARKET EMOTIONALLY.

ADVANTAGES OF EMOTINAL BRANDING TO COMPANY.

ADVANTAGES OF EMOTINAL BRANDING TO CUSTOMER.

KEY MENDATES FOR EMOTIONAL BRANDING

CONCLUSION

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INTRODUCTION -

Emotional Branding is a marketing term that has to do with the way the consumer feels about the advertised product, rather than the product's image, usage, or price. Emotional branding is the factor that companies play on when they advertise to market to certain demographics.

Company advertisement has shifted from concentrating on the product to concentrating on the consumer. Advertisement is more about psychology now more than ever. Companies want an emotional connection between the product and the consumer. Instead of stressing the products capabilities, focus is put on design and appearance. Shapes and colors are carefully chosen to invoke specific emotions that the company wants associated with the product.

Emotional Branding is a virtual movement. It began in 2001, when a profoundly different brand

design strategy was developed from the creation of Marc Gobé’s best-selling book. The

Emotional Branding strategy marked a simple but revolutionary shift in thinking: placing the

consumer, not the product, at the forefront of a brand’s strategy. Marketing in the 20th century

had deviated from this basic principle, adopting a guerrilla-warfare, “us (the marketers) against

them (the consumers)” mentality.

Emotional Branding has opened the pathway to an entirely new kind of thinking, which

explores how brands can connect with people in a more sensitive and humanistic way and touch

people profoundly at the level of the senses and emotions.

One of the most amazing discoveries of Emotional Branding has been that by empowering

consumers, brands are ultimately empowered themselves. Emotional Branding allows a brand

to own a unique and compelling strategic, visual, tactical and verbal vocabulary—creating a

rich personality that enables the brand to stand out completely from the competition and win

people’s hearts.

 

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WHAT IS BRAND?

Before starting about Emotional Branding we must know about Brand. All products have names

but not all names are brands. A brand is a promise . A brand is not a product. It is a promise

that the consumer is aware of (Sometimes vaguely) when they buy and it is a promise that is

kept and delivered by their experience with what they bought.

Defining the promise is the first step in branding. The promise must be described in terms of

what customers want, not from the perspective of what the company thinks it has. If the promise

is well identified and successfully delivered, a bond of trust is built between the company and

its customers. As this bond strengthens, so does the brand. A brand is something that is build

and earns a reputation for. You may have invented a better mousetrap and given it a highly

memorable name, but it is not a brand until it proves to your customers that it works and they

tell you that your mousetrap is the one they prefer. It has been argued that you don't create your

brand. Your customer does!

So a brand is also a form of trust - a guarantee in customers' minds that they are getting

something they know they can rely on, time after time. It becomes a useful short cut to

reliability. This is another reason why having a strong brand is so valuable. You don't have to

waste a lot of time and money describing yourself in detail at every sales opportunity. Your

reputation, quite literally, precedes you.

Brand Associations The feelings, beliefs and knowledge that consumers (customers) have

about brands. These associations are derived as a result of experiences and must be consistent

with the brand positioning and the basis of differentiation.

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Brand Commitment The degree to which a customer is committed to a given brand in that

they are likely to re-purchase/re-use in the future. The level of commitment indicates the degree

to which a brand's customer franchise is protected form competitors.

A brand should have at least two other central dimensions:

1. As well as making a promise, a brand should offer its user a benefit and

2. A brand should serve to differentiate itself from its competitors in an attractive, memorable,

relevant and compelling way.

So the end result of designing a brand is a proposition that says to the user:

“Here is what the brand promises to deliver to you; this“Here is what the brand promises to deliver to you; this

is why it meets your needs; this is why it is better than the othersis why it meets your needs; this is why it is better than the others.”.”

WHAT IS EMOTIONAL BRANDING?

Emotional branding is a very powerful means of increasing one’s market share and creating

brand loyalty . Emotional branding is widely heralded as a key to marketing success, and

leading brands often attempt to forge deep emotional bonds with their customers.

In today's highly competitive markets, smart companies are focusing more and more on

emotional branding to differentiate their product in the minds--and hearts--of consumers.

"People spend money when and where they feel good."

- Walt Disney

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No wonder. Today's consumers face more choices than ever, yet they devote less time to

product comparisons. To compound the matter, brands in many industries have become

increasingly similar in quality, price and delivery. You've gained their trust and are rewarded

with their loyalty.

Once a consumer's emotions are involved, you've injected real power into your 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.

The answer is because we all have both left and right brains. The right brain reflects our

creative and emotional side; the left-brain controls our logic and intellectual reasoning.

Effective branding appeals to both sides of the brain. It takes into account both tangible and

intangible attributes which relate to both functional and emotional benefits.

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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.

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NEW REALIZATION: -

Conventional marketing based on Features-Advantages-Benefits

and Satisfaction (“FABS”) is passé, and rational marketing is

history. People of the genre listen only to their irrational, emotional

requirements. They don’t buy something because it will last

forever, but because it may give them satisfaction in terms of

image, prestige and snob value.

If we looked at the pyramid shaped Indian society, we find that the

majority of the people live in villages and do not have proper

livelihood and purchasing power. These people look for “utility

products”. But others who are at the top of the society-who have

loads of money-look for things that can enhance their image and

prestige.

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The Three Levels Of Needs Drawn From Maslow’s Hierarchy Of

Need:-

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It is very interesting to note that people with lower order needs may only buy “utility”

products”. Fashion and style may not be criteria for them to buy a product and they may be

driven mainly by utility, price and other elements. People with middle order needs may look for

style and fashion if they find logic and reason in them; and if they can also afford the same.

These people have more money compared to those with lower order needs and hence they spend

much more on comparatively expensive items.But actually, the big spenders are those with

higher order needs. These people have money, taste and a liberal spending habit. They spend

SELF ACTUALIZATION

SELF ESTEEM

LOVE AND BELONGINGNESS

SAFETY AND SECURITY NEEDS

PHYSILOGICAL NEEDS

HIGHER ORDER NEEDS

MIDDLE ORDER NEEDS

NEEDS

LOWER ORDER NEEDS

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huge amounts of money on various products. They do almost 80% of total spending. And all

companies are eyeing them for future growth.

Sometimes their spending pattern is illogical as they are often crazy and obsessed about buying.

They are the new generation consumers; their philosophy is to earn more and spend even more

(if possible). They never look for “utility “ in the products and may buy a car because of the

glitzy ad they have seen recently on TV. They are highly fanatical and passionate about the

latest cars, the most up to date mobile handsets and other gizmos. To them tangible benefits are

passé; style and fashion are more important. “Emotional Marketing” is just apt for them.

For example, the Coca Cola Company has chosen specific colors for their can to inspire certain

emotions. The general red color is a power color to inspire strength and confidence, and a

general warm comforting feel. The silver stripes and bubbles give a refreshing look, and the

yellow stripe is a subtle but important color that inspires a feeling of happiness. All together this

design inspires a comforting family feel. Their commercials also seem to promise a comforting

and social experience. All of these factors create an emotional connection with the product.

When the consumer sees the product in the store they not only see a refreshing drink, they feel a

sense of happiness and comfort, hoping for the social interaction the commercials display.

FEW SIMPLE MEANINGS OF EMOTIONAL BRANDING

The emotional branding is the 'essence' or intuitive responses triggered when the brand is

mentioned or thought about - the warm and fuzzies that all marketers hope (believe) their brand

image evokes.

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Emotional branding is based on emotional aspects of the product; intangible benefits that are

hard to measure but still are valuable. Communication uses peripheral route to persuasion.

Many consumer products use this communication. In this kind of branding or communication,

you won’t see many details about the product features. Though this is tricky it can be very

effective.

The emotional Branding aspects: the emotions and feelings that are perceived when you see or

listen the name. It pleases us or not, it invites us to sell or not, it produces us tranquility or

stress, confidence or fear, etc. Ej: A Bank may transmit us Confidence and tranquility. Another,

agility and service.

Various tools used for emotional branding:-

(1) Celebrity Branding:-

(2) Punch-lines:-

Celebrity Branding:-

Celebrity branding is a type of branding, or advertising, in which a celebrity uses his or her

status in society to promote a product, service or charity. Celebrity branding can take several

different forms, from a celebrity simply appearing in advertisements for a product, service or

charity, to a celebrity attending PR events, creating his or her own line of products or services,

and/or using his or her name as a brand. The most popular forms of celebrity brand lines are for

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clothing and fragrances. Many singers, models and film stars now have at least one licensed

product or service which bears their name.

Kareena Kapoor-

o Pepsi,

o Sony Ericsson,

o Vivel Beauty soap.

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(Aamir khan in TATA SKY as a sardar)

Aamir khan:-

o Tata sky,

o Titan

o Thums up

o Parle –G

Other Famous celebrities:-

SHAHRUKH KHAN DEEPIKA PADUKON SALMAN KHAN

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KAITRINA KAIF AISHWARYA RAI AKSHAY KUMAR

SACHIN TENDULKAR MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI 

Lately there has been a trend towards celebrity voice-overs in advertising. Some celebrities

have distinct voices which are recognizable even when they not present on-screen. This is a

more subtle way to add celebrity branding to a product or service. And example of such

celebrities is Amitabh Bacchan.

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Punch-lines:-

SIMPLE MEANING OF PUNCHLINES

1. An ending line, as in a play or joke, that makes a point.2. An often repeated phrase associated with an individual, organization, or commercial

product; a slogan.

EXAMPLES ARE-

ICICI Bank - - Hum Hai Na  

HONDA - The Power of Dreams

Transparency makes us Different  

Motorola - Intelligence Everywhere

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TOUCHING THE HEARTTOUCHING THE HEART

Effective marketing should not only touch the hearts of the consumers but should also impact

upon them emotionally and lead them on to take action. It may be targeted at the new

generation consumers, who have the more spending power, a well defined taste, a liking for the

latest products and a value system that is totally untraditional. The new generation consumers

can be targeted with the following Emotional Marketing Mix:

1. Glitzy Ad

2. Flashy Design

3. Lifestyle

4. Image

For example, the Coca Cola Company has chosen specific colors for their can to inspire certain

emotions. The general red color is a power color to inspire strength and confidence, and a

general warm comforting feel. The silver stripes and bubbles give a refreshing look, and the

yellow stripe is a subtle but important color that inspires a feeling of happiness. All together this

design inspires a comforting family feel. Their commercials also seem to promise a comforting

and social experience. All of these factors create an emotional connection with the product.

When the consumer sees the product in the store they not only see a refreshing drink, they feel a

sense of happiness and comfort, hoping for the social interaction the commercials display.

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Moving Consumer’s From Reality To UnrealityMoving Consumer’s From Reality To Unreality

Helping Them dreamHelping Them dream

Here we can take the eg. of DOVE soap. Dove is not just a soap – it’s a dream – a dream of

becoming delicately beautiful , by using a very gentle soap. When a girl bathes with Dove soap,

she nurtures a dream of becoming exquisitely beautiful. And she also expects to be accepted by

a dream boy.

EMOTIONAL BRANDING

LIFESTYLE

GLITZY ADIMAGE

FLASHY DESIGN

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When she buys it , she actually does not buy the tangible soap, but her purchase is driven by her

dream – an eternal dream that every girl cherishes – to become gorgeously attractive. The

tangible Dove soap, together with the imagery created around the brand, has a decisive effect on

the consumer. The same can be said for Fair & Lovely and other beauty products.

“EMOTIONAL SATISFACTION”A KEY MARKETING“EMOTIONAL SATISFACTION”A KEY MARKETING

VALUE DRIVER”VALUE DRIVER”

In order to delight your customers emotionally, you must use the “Emotional Marketing Mix”

very carefully. You must indicate emotional element in your product, communicate the same

with glitz and help consumers imbibe those emotional elements and make them dream.

Consumers at the higher order need level, very often get locked emotionally with glitz , surreal

beauty, somber and exotic locations. The communication should also include flashy

product design and its associated lifestyle elements. When consumer imbibe these

communications strongly, the product becomes indispensable to them and they would be

willing to die to possess it.

In today’s world, people go absolutely gaga about glitz and fashion. Tangible merits are

outdated. There is no denying the fact that if tangibles and fashion can be integrated into a

product, it can be a phenomenal success, but this may not be true for all products. In order to

achieve success in business you need to be able to strike the emotions that motivate your

prospects. Describing the emotional delight your customers get from your products can surely

take you that extra mile towards success. The customer should feel a sense of “self-importance,

pride, confidence and delight” upon buying your products.

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COLOR BRANDINGCOLOR BRANDING

Making use of the right colors in the promotional materials like marketing brochures, product

labelling and packaging is very important. This is quite essential to arouse the right set of

emotions that will prompt your target audience to buy your product or service.

Colors have the ability to change people’s emotions. Furthermore, several colors carry

symbolic meanings and associations. for example, if you’re selling children’s products, it may

be appropriate to use rainbow colors, as they represent enjoyment and happiness. Similarly, if

one is selling products for men, colors such as blue, black, grey or white may be more suitable,

as they represent strength and maturity.

Following are some of the common colors used in personality tests and their meanings to

give you an idea of how color preferences can be used to further understand customers

and their behaviors :-

Orange Color Meanings

Orange is related to energy, strength and power.

Gold Color Meanings

Gold color represents loyalty and responsibility.

Green Color Meanings

The color personality preference tests assume that green color represents a persistent, decisive

and resistant state of mind.

Blue Color Meanings

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Blue color is related to calmness

Red Color Meanings

Red color excites.

The color personality tests associate it with enthusiasm, strength and competitiveness.

Looking at these color meanings as they relate to consumer behavior, it seems clear that

different target audiences would respond to different colors in marketing materials and

branding. It certainly makes a case for including color preference questions in market research

used to segment your customers. Do your customers prefer orange or blue? If there is a trend,

you might want to match your color choices to your target audience’s preferences.

What do you think about color in terms of predicting consumer behavior and using it to more

appropriately communicate with target audiences?- is a step to success.

EXAMPLE QUOTED A PERFECT USE OF BOTH

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EMOTIONS AND COLOR

Apple is one of the leading branding companies in the world. Marketing experts like Marc

Gobe argue that Apple's brand is the key to the company's success.

Blue Color Meanings

Blue color is related to calmness

Red Color Meanings

Red color excites.

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Criteria That Govern Emotional Marketing:

INTRINSIC

TECHNICAL

PRICE

COMMUNI--CATION

EXTRINSIC

TOUCHING

THE

HEART

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TOUCHING THE HEART

Technical Criteria:

The technical criteria talk about the functional elements of the product. If the additional

functions & features of a product are able to make certain operations easy to perform &

execute, then it will be widely accepted over other substitutes. Marketers who offer products or

services that have extra features & are easy to use, will definitely have an edge over competitors

& drive the market their way.

Communication Criteria:

In communication, one should integrate technical and emotional elements and let the

consumers imbibe the same. Both technical and emotional elements are important . However, in

today’s world of standardized products , utility has taken a backseat , and emotional elements

are what really drive consumers to the last point

BRAND COMMUNICATIONS ARE SENT AND RECEIVED AT THREE

EMOTIONAL LEVELS:

The Head

The Heart and

The Gut.

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1. Head communications represent the rational. They are most effective in situations where

literal identification is the highest priority, such as in signage or functional product information.

2. Heart communications strengthen a brand’s relationship with its target audiences. They

capture a sense of shared values and readily adapt to interactive and social contexts.

3. Gut communications intuitively tap into consumers’ conscious—and subconscious—

desires. They create a “wow” factor that drives not just loyalty, but passionate attachment to a

brand.

While brands can powerfully link their overall brand image to one of these emotional zones,

we believe that every brand must leverage all three emotional levels to most effectively

communicate with their target audiences.

Intrinsic Criteria:

Intrinsic criteria throw light on the fact that the product must appeal to the customer’s senses. A

customer is driven by its feel, taste, smell, look or sound. He wants to be associated with joy,

beauty, pride and confidence. His senses are governed by the “Look At Me” attitude. Therefore,

products which cater to these basic needs of the customer are more likely to be accepted.

Consumers are constantly looking for something new and different. A marketer must make use

of the right kind of innovations which can take the consumers to a higher plane and give them

delight and surprise.

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The “Look At Me” approach would be extremely innovative and may entice consumers who

look for very diverse products. In this approach a strong appeal (may be sensuality) can create

wonders.

Extrinsic criteria:

The extrinsic criteria give rise to a dream in the consumer’s mind that people like to look at

beautiful persons/objects and that if he would look good on being associated with the product ,

people would like to be with him; thus giving him an extra sense of acceptance in the society

and greater confidence. This would lure the customer towards buying the product again and

again. Quite clearly, some emotions of the prospects are driven by the concept –“if you’re

beautiful, I”ll look at you!”. A product must therefore have both tangible and intangible features

that would make it “beautiful” and also make the user “look beautiful”.

When a consumer looks at the product, he sees both tangible as well as intangible factors. In

certain product categories “appeal” can take over all other factors and the consumer may decide

in favor of the brand because of the appeal only.

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IF YOU’REBEAUTIFUL

I WILL LOOK

AT YOU…..

INTANGIBLEFEATURES

TANGIBLEFEATURES

ATTRACTIVE PACKAGING

DESIGN / LABELLING

COLOUR

APPEAL

BRAND NAME

EXTRINSIC CRITERIA:

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NAMING:

Naming a brand is also equally important . A relevant , meaningful and contemporary name can

strike the right chord in the consumer’s mind. For example, Head & Shoulders is an appropriate

name for an anti-dandruff shampoo and goes a long way in making this brand successful.

Newsweek sells much more globally than News Weekly. Playboy is more popular than Esquire.

All these successful brands have relevance and right association

Naming is a sub-set of branding, and it is an important sub-set. Well-executed, a memorable

name and an arresting logo can be valuable assets for a good brand. In fact, a well-chosen name

can perform almost as a one word commercial. This can be especially critical for smaller

businesses which may lack the budgets to promote their brands effectively.

Today's skeptical, time-pressed generation needs a prompting that instantly encourages them to

give your brand a try. A truly strong brand name should at least hint at emotional gratification.

If your brand name doesn't convey its emotional essence, consider adding a tagline. Use words

that show emotion. For example, if you ran a spa, you might apply words like "love," "satisfy"

or "indulge." Again, ensure that the words you use are appropriate for your audience.

PRICE:

Price is a very important criterion for profitability and sustainability of any product/brand. It has

been observed that if consumers develop a predisposition towards a particular brand , he is

ready to pay more.

The prime objective should be to take consumers into the emotional loop and move them

upstage to the level of predisposition. Once a consumer is predisposed emotionally towards a

brand, 90% of the battle is won. It is therefore important for the marketer to be committed to put

the consumers into the emotional loop, develop emotional predisposition and strive towards

emotional marketing.

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FASHION /DESIGN /IMAGE

COMMUNICATION

BELIEVABILITY(EMOTIONAL

BELIEVABILITY)

LIKING (INTRINSIC)(“LOOK AT ME APPROACH”

LIKING (EXTRINSIC)(IF YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL, I WILL LOOK AT

YOU)

PREDISPOSITION(EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT WITH THE

BRAND)

PRICE DETERMINATION

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The Link Between

Emotions and Brand Loyalty

Research shows that reason and emotions differ in that reason generates conclusions but not

necessarily actions, while emotions more frequently lead to actions. You can educate consumers

on your product's features, but without an emotional involvement of some kind, consumers may

not attach values to those facts--at least not the values you may want them to attach.

For example, a salad may be a healthier choice than a hamburger and fries, but many people

grab the burger anyway. After all, on an emotional level, a salad equals "doing the right thing"

(ho-hum) but a hamburger equals "pleasure and gratification" (mmm). When it comes

to brand loyalty, nothing is stronger than securing an emotional bond to your brand.

Classification of brand on the basis of appeal :

1. Sensual appeal products:

It may not be possible for most brands to become symbolic/emotional brands without

establishing themselves on the functional platform. In most product categories (even in service

categories such as banks, hotels and travel services), consumers seek benefits that can add value

to their time, convenience or performance. In apparels, easy maintenance adds to convenience;

goggles' protection of the eyes adds value to the well-being of the consumer and his

performance in various activities.

There are some exceptions. Soft drinks, ice creams, perfumes, cigarettes and chocolates are

categories which convey sensual gratification and hence they are sensory products.

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2. Utility-appeal products:

The next approach is towards those categories that are not sensory in nature, namely utility-

oriented categories. One category is the typical FMCG category and the other category is that

of durables. There seems to be a proliferation of emotional branding in FMCG categories.

Chakra Tea, Close Up toothpaste, Dettol antiseptic lotion, Johnson & Johnson's baby

powder and Saffola in the edible oil category are just some examples. Most of them have also

conveyed a functional proposition in the seemingly emotional proposition protection — Dettol,

whiteness of the teeth in Close Up and taste (sensory benefit) in Chakra Tea.

3. Emotional appeal products:

Cadbury's Temptations uses emotional appeal in its TV commercial. Symbolism in this

context is broad-based and could be the feeling of belonging to a group, self-concept,

relationships and self-esteem. There are a number of brands of perfumes and deodorants that are

relationship-oriented appeals.

4. Culture-based emotional appeal products:

Culture-based emotion is another category which some brands have used effectively. Here,

an emotional belief is attached to a cultural belief.

Reliance Mobile shows an advertisement in which the father gifts a mobile to his daughter

who is married — an emotion clearly tied to the cultural belief of Godrej's Storwel cupboard

was one of the earliest brands to position itself as a `gift for the bride', with the advertisement

having all the trappings of a typical wedding.

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5. Durable products:

In the category of durable products too, emotional branding seems to play an important role in

influencing the psyche of the consumer.

Santro, one of the fastest selling passenger cars, has a strong celebrity-based emotional

overtone.

Titan is another example where the emotion surrounding the gift proposition was effectively

captured by the watch brand. Currently, the brand is attempting to position itself as a lifestyle

accessory.

BRANDS USING BOTH BENEFITS AND SYMBOLIC ASSOCIATIONS:

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LG, in the positioning with regard to its televisions, washing machines and refrigerators has

creatively combined the emotional proposition.

In refrigerators, the emotion is safety and trust (preservation of nutrients); in washing machine,

it is fabric care (trust); and in television, it is Golden Eye (care). Such a positioning backed by

a good product and service is certain to get positive word of mouth.

There may be categories which fit into such functional-emotional combination. Marketers

would have to consider the category along with the target segment to visualize such

combinations.

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The Vicks advertisement of yesteryear is a classic — the son drenched in the rain offering a

bouquet to the mother on her birthday and the mother using Vicks for the occasion. Baby

products involving infants and mother (J&J uses this) are another example.

Clinic Plus initially positioned itself on the mother-daughter bonding.

Researchers and experts have different ideas on what a brand benefit is, segmenting it into three

or four categories which are :

Functional Benefit - Actual benefit from the brand. (ie. Low Fat)

Emotional Benefit - Benefit felt in the heart and mind of the consumer. (ie. feeling light and

healthy)

Social Benefit - Benefit acquired by the consumer, only once it comes in contact with other

people (ie. being a healthy person among a group of friend.)

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The strongest brands always effectively express emotional and often social

benefits.

Emotional benefits express how you feel when you use the brand, while social/affiliation

benefits revolve around how you want others to see you.

Functional benefits are important, yet they are also easiest for competitors to claim or

duplicate. Functional benefits rarely differentiate one brand from another.

Connecting emotional benefits with your difference is at the heart of great messaging. And

elevates your brand to one of contemporary relevance.

In this post I’ll focus on the Emotional Benefit, since I believe there is a great chance for many

brands to improve in it.

UNDERSTANDING THE EMOTIONAL BRAND BENEFITUNDERSTANDING THE EMOTIONAL BRAND BENEFIT

However, only few brands (worldwide) have been able to translate the functional benefit

into something consumers understand and are able to deal with emotionally, moving them

to adopt it as part of their daily lives; hence, starting a new relationship with a brand.

Some examples of such brands are: Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Singapore Airlines, and

recently Apple.

Apple - "Brand of the Year" in 2001

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When we speak on emotional benefits, the benefit gotten by the consumer isn’t something

material they can show off as an Oscar statue. Instead, it works more directly into the heart and

mind. The key here is that in most cases, even though it isn’t a material good, it can be showed

off as a batch of honor or status. (…arriving to the creation of a social benefit…)

For example:

Singapore Airlines allows their users to have fun, test new business models, be the first

ones to discover new airline paradigms, and enjoy their ride as no other brand allows them to.

The tricky part on establishing an emotional benefit for consumers is the transition and

translation of the functional benefit into something that consumers can experience emotionally

that will leave them touched with the brand’s benefit itself.

A benefit will never attract the emotional side of a consumer if it isn’t relevant to her. Singapore

Airlines offers the functional benefit of high quality, innovative, different and even ‘fun’ flights

around the world; all of which are relevant and important to consumers, that is what they’re

looking for a in a 12-hr flight. But they take it a step further by utilizing communication

strategies like advertising branding, and positioning through various mediums to connect

emotionally with their users.

By putting forth, what I’d call, a ’cause-effect’ strategy they target consumers both ways,

through advertising (prior to service delivery, promising great things) and then finally

connecting the dots with the amazing experience they provide to the users once on-board.

There is actually no other way to keep the brand benefit rolling like a snowball but through

consistency. To stick with the example, Singapore Airlines have continuously stayed on track

with what their brand offers. No tactic or strategy of theirs deviated from their original brand

benefit and positioning.

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By having strategies (all around) that are relevant to your consumers (or potential ones), and

then keeping the promise through a sustained period of time, you will be able to tie in the

emotional brand benefit that consumers get from your brand experience. So Emotional

Branding is the” new mantra”.

HOW TO MARKET EMOTIONALLY:HOW TO MARKET EMOTIONALLY:

When figuring out how to market emotionally, you need to work out what drives your

customers. How do they spend their days? How can your product make their lives easier, make

them healthier or better looking or their lives more fun? Once you get a grip on how your

product appeals to your customer, you can then focus your marketing efforts on bringing to the

fore the emotional offer that your clients will respond to. For example, if you sell liquid

vitamins I would say off the top of my head that your target market are people who are health

conscious, not as healthy as they would like to be, high income earners, probably leading quite

stressed lives and they want their vitamins quickly and immediately.

Obviously you need to pitch your marketing tactics at intelligent, busy people who are

concerned about their health and want instant results from vitamins. You could show a before

stressed executive at office or stressed mom ferrying the kids and after executive in control of a

meeting, mom laughing with the kids to show the benefits of these vitamins.

To build an emotional marketing campaign you need to read the psycho-social make-up of your

target market and build up an emotional campaign to meet their needs. It sounds like common

sense but surprisingly few businesses go about doing this. They simply have advertisements

published and hope for the best. What you actually need is a promotional campaign where you

are entering into an emotional back-and-forth relationship with the customer, persuading them

that your service or product can meet their emotional need.

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Keep in mind that the emotional attitudes of consumers toward the same product can vary

greatly by age group, gender, culture, socioeconomic status, etc. Consider a sports car, which

may convey thrills to a teenager but danger to an elderly adult.

Key Mandates for Emotional Branding: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 liveConsumers buy, People live ..

In marketing circles, "consumers" are often categorized by the terminologies like breaking

down the defences 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 is 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), Kerala Tourism's interactive website (where the visitor can

experience a host of features like image galleries, music galleries, video galleries, Gourmet's

corner etc.) 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.

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From Honesty to Trust:

Honesty is the best policy. Truth is even better. It needs to be earnedHonesty 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 Kerala, 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.

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From Notoriety to Aspiration:

Being known does not mean that you are also loved!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.

Example of Strong identity Example of Strong personality.

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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.

The Apple iMac

Gillette razors

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.

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From Service to Relationship:

"If we greet customers, exchange a few extra words with them and then custom-make a drinkIf 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 backexactly 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!

Relationship does An advertisement of ICICI bank where the executive is dully involved in serving the customers by emotional attachment.

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Advantages of   emotional   branding for the company :-

Business is changing because our customers are changing. Their buying decisions and shopping habits are changing. Fundamental changes are taking place in their preferences and behaviour. And more so, the ways in which we talk to them are changing. They expect and demand to be spoken to on a personalised and one-to-one basis.

More than that, customers expect an unprecedented level of emotional commitment and honesty from the brands they trust, support and buy. Customer loyalty is weakening, because they constantly move on to new products and new brands entering the marketplace. They are thinking more with their hearts than with their heads.

For any company to be successful in this new and ‘now’ emotional economy they need to create and build emotional loyalty.

How Do a company Decide Which Emotional Benefit To Reinforce?

When trying to link emotions to any brand for a company custom magnets,: What matters most to company target market? What will company product or service do for them? Keep asking what's great about company brand or product or service until company get down to the specific emotional benefit. By linking emotion to company marketing promotions, company greatly reinforce marketing message and the positive association that brand has with the consumer.

Why do you think brands like Pepsi, Gatorade, and Nike spend millions of advertising dollars on famous athletes, entertainers, and singers? Because people can link feeling good with these famous people and that helps them associate those feelings with their products.

Smart marketers have now identified the true value of measurable marketing by segmenting and managing their customer databases. They have recognised that marketing is an experience directly linking their customer’s emotions to their brands.

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All effective advertising is inherently emotional. Consumers are faced with thousands of marketing messages every day, promising to help them feel better, look younger, think smarter of live safer. Marketers in all product categories are working around the clock to build stronger, more personal and more relevant connections with all of us.

In this intensely competitive marketplace, brands cannot survive on functionality alone. If all body soaps are capable of cleaning well, the soap that cleans and moisturizes and makes you feel fresh and confident will build better, more profitable and longer lasting relationships with company and customer.

As opposed to the FMCG industry, the pharmaceutical industry has not been as efficient

in leveraging the power of their brands. This is primarily because drugs have always

competed against each other based on functional attributes (clinical and product related

features). However with patent expiry, this has become a difficult situation as generics

create competition in the market.Several challenges face pharmaceutical brands today.

R&D expenses have risen significantly and the success rate of products is not high.

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Hence it is difficult to constantly rely on new product development to achieve competitive

advantage.

The pharmaceutical drug companies have chosen to focus on developing ‘products’ rather

than the brand. The traditional sources of value creation have been through extensive

research and development (R&D).

Brand managers in pharmaceutical companies usually take the help of expensive clinical

data to demonstrate how their products differ from their competitors. This difference is

often used as the basis for differentiation as it is easy to sell a “tangible” functional

difference. Example, the lipid-lowering product Zocor (Simvastatin) is seen as the “first

HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor”, and licensed to reduce LDL cholesterol and increase HDL

cholesterol. The concept of the brand is not well developed.

The Brand Value Pyramid – Functional vs. Emotional Benefits

Once the functional benefits are met, the customer’s mind moves to other needs, which are intangible, emotional and often irrational. This has been highlighted in the brand value pyramid .It is only at the pinnacle of the Brand Value Pyramid that a brand achieves highest level of loyalty. Hence, it is important for pharmaceutical companies to relate to these needs by

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interacting with consumers

At a more emotional level and ultimately becoming a trustworthy partner and sustain brand loyalty in the long run.

Now, emotional branding is not new. Nike has long stood for personal

achievement and Volvo for safety. But what's changed lately is the permeation of

emotional marketing messages into nearly every category. It seems no product

is immune. Bottled water has gotten smarter and tea has become honest. 

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Need of   emotional   branding for the company :-

The 360-degree brandThe 360-degree brand Concept:- Concept:-

One of the core tenets of brand development is to build as complete a brand identity as possible. What is meant by complete? That the company's mission, vision and values combined with an intimate understanding of its customers are in alignment with how the brand is communicated and promoted. Brand communication and promotion includes product design, packaging, advertising, public relations, social media and events.

Advantages of   emotional   branding for the customer :-

Emotional benefits and emotional branding have become hot topics over the past few years. A lot of research has been conducted and the association of emotion in marketing promotions has been shown to have a significant impact on peoples purchasing decisions.

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So, what are emotional benefits?

Emotional benefits are the positive emotions the consumer experiences because they use a particular product or service or brand.In other words, emotional benefits support the consumer’s self-esteem. "I use product Z, therefore I am a creative person". "I use service X, therefore I am a relaxed person". "I drive brand Y, therefore I am an innovative person". These are all statements that evoke emotional benefits in the consumer and help drive their purchasing decision because of the emotional association they make with the product or brand. Just about every business, product, and service can be associated with an emotional benefit.

Emotions Drive Purchasing Decisions!

People buy products because of how the brand or features make the person feel about themselves. Most consumers want to believe that they make purchasing decisions based on logic and price, but most purchasing decisions are driven by emotion and how the consumer will feel as a result of their purchase.

Emotional branding is done all the time without most consumers even noticing it.

Emotional brands are loved. The Apple iPod and Starbucks Coffee are just two examples of brands that focus on the emotional benefits and experience. You must connect with your customers by creating emotional bonds with your brand.

Create an emotional bond between your brand and the customer...

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Company’s custom promotional magnets provide an "emotional hook" that helps grab the attention of company’s prospective customers. By adding a promotional product that is fun and amusing, Company create a tremendous opportunity for bonding with customer which results in increased business for Company. Emotional branding will help Company create a personal dialogue and relationship with Company potential customers.

Promotional Marketing Strategies that workPromotional Marketing Strategies that work

Having a well laid out marketing strategy is extremely important for the success of any business or product. Promotional marketing should always reinforce the basic mission or goal of your marketing efforts.

Increase Awareness...

For promotional marketing to stimulate potential customers to make a purchase and increase company awareness within the marketplace, it is imperative that company should understand its target audience. Company message should reinforce the benefits of its business, product, or service. Understand the customer’s problem and why they would need your product or service and communicate the emotional benefits your product provides to them. Link your product in an emotional way that consumers can identify with.

Grab Attention...With promotional magnets

With any promotional marketing campaign, A company wants to accomplish several things. company first want its promotional product to first grab attention.This can be done as follows:-

Hold customers Interest...

This comes in two forms- first, company’s business name, logo, and tag line stand out and identify the benefit your business, product, or service offers. Second, the emotional faces provide a fun interactive tool that potential customers can re-use to express themselves and continuously re-expose themselves to your marketing message.

Reinforce the Desire and Focus On the Benefits...

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Third, company wants to make its business or product desirable by focusing on the benefits. This is accomplished by reinforcing that link between its business and the emotional benefits as well as targeting the right customers.

Inspire Action...Custom magnets are effective

The final step is to inspire action by influencing the customer to make the purchase decision, make the telephone call, check-out your website, attend your trade show booth, make an appointment, or whatever other call to action you want to put in place.

Those companies that have moved from being product-focused to customer-focused are the cornerstone of our economy – worldwide. Those who have moved (or are moving) from traditional branding to emotional branding and from using traditional communication methods to emotional communication methods will win the hearts and wallets of their customers.

The marketer influences both how people experience the brand and the resultant emotional memories; and how people experience the advertising and the resultant emotional memories. Brand marketing involves the management of the emotional memories of both the brand and all its communication.

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CONCLUSION

Emotional Branding is a new paradigm that would command growing importance in the

years to come. The rational means of attracting customers through product features and

benefits is losing its importance, particularly when catering to the higher order needs of the

more affluent section of consumers . Emotional appeal based on lifestyle and image, supported

by glitzy advertisement and flashy packaging are becoming comparatively more common in

recent times.

The basic principle of emotional marketing is that one has to touch the customer’s heart, and

create a liking for the product through the use of “Intrinsic” (“Look At Me” Approach) and

“Extrinsic” (If you’re beautiful, I will look at you!) criteria.

Marketers would have to be particularly conscious about including the emotional component in

their marketing activities in order to provide that added edge, which would not be available if

one limits oneself to a rational appeal alone. With increasing disposable incomes and

consequent growth in discretionary spending power, emotional marketing will have a much

greater role to play in deciding how the additional income would be spent.

It includes emotional benefits (feeling), rational benefits (informational, educational, economic,

social, and environmental) and human contact – interaction with your customer. Emotional

branding focuses on the long-term customer relationship and encourages connectivity and

intimacy.

The emotional aspect of products and their distribution systems will be the key differentiator

between customers' ultimate choice and the price they will pay.

The market out there is fast and furious. The competition is heavy and the marketing

messages are reaching consumers in their thousands every day. To compound the challenge

most of your potential customers basic needs are already met. They are looking for things to

enhance their lives, make them feel better, prettier, sexier. Marketing to todays consumers is a

challenging business because you are no longer listing the specifications of products and

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services. Instead you are meeting people on an emotional level to break into their consumer

awareness.

In short, Emotional Branding has created an entirely new vernacular in the business worldIn short, Emotional Branding has created an entirely new vernacular in the business world

and opened up a new dialogue about how to create brands people truly love—through theand opened up a new dialogue about how to create brands people truly love—through the

power of emotions and designpower of emotions and design

We can conclude that-

Emotional Branding - For the ultimate bonding

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WEBILIOGRAPHY:

1. www.emotional marketing. com

2. www.emotional branding.com

3. www.iupindia.org

4. www.wikipedia.com

Bibliography

1. MARKETING MASTERMIND.

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