Making an emotional connection

by. Megan Miranda

Successful brands do more than provide value in terms of product benefits. They strike a chord with consumers. Finding a way to connect on an emotional level is one of the keys to creating breakthrough messaging.

Is that to say that every product and every brand has to be laden with heavy, serious, heart-wrenching emotion? No. Human emotion is a many-feathered creature. In the course of any given day, consumers experience an incredibly wide range of emotions at a variety of intensities. Humor. Joy. Frustration. Excitement. Anxiety. Pride. And the list goes on. Some might be a good fit for your brand or product, others won’t be.

Let’s say that you have an established brand identity already. You’ve also taken the time to identify the specific consumer segments or target audiences you want to engage with your brand or a specific product. How do you take the next step in creating an emotional connection between the two?

Start by understanding these three things: relevance, relatability, and believability.

Relevance. What role does your product or brand play in consumers’ lives? On the surface, your product probably does a few basic things. A mortgage, for instance, enables a consumer to purchase or refinance a home, which in turn gives them a place to live or improves their financial situation with an existing home. When you look below the surface, you start to find feelings you might want to tap into: pride, security, sense of well-being, love for family, happiness, personal satisfaction, sense of permanence, etc. Narrow these emotions down by identifying which emotions your specific audience is likely to feel. When your target consumer feels one of these emotions, he or she probably isn’t thinking of your mortgage product – but your product is relevant to their experience of the emotion, so you’ve got an opportunity to help them make that connection.

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