EMOTIONAL BRANDING

MAHARISHI ARVIND INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

PROJECT REPORT ON:

EMOTIONAL 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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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

is 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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SELF
ACTUALIZATION HIGHER
ORDER
NEEDS
SELF ESTEEM

MIDDLE
ORDER
NEEDS
LOVE AND BELONGINGNESS

NEEDS

SAFETY AND SECURITY NEEDS

PHYSILOGICAL LOWE
NEEDS R
ORDE
R

NEEDS

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

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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,

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

Helping Them dream

LIFESTYLE FLASHY DESIGN

EMOTIONAL BRANDING

IMAGE GLITZY AD

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.

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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

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 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:

TECHNICA
L

INTRINSI COMMUNI-
C -CATION
TOUCHING
THE

HEART

EXTRINSI PRICE
C

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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.

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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.

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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 EXTRINSIC EMOTIONAL BRANDING

CRITERIA:

ATTRACTIVE
PACKAGING

TANGIBLE
FEATURES
DESIGN /
LABELLING

IF
YOU’RE
BEAUTIFUL
I APPEAL
WILL LOOK
AT
YOU…..
COLOUR
INTANGIBLE
FEATURES

BRAND NAME

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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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PRICE DETERMINATION

PREDISPOSITION
(EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT WITH THE
BRAND)

FASHION / LIKING (EXTRINSIC)

(IF YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL, I WILL LOOK AT
DESIGN / YOU)
IMAGE

LIKING (INTRINSIC)
(“LOOK AT ME APPROACH”

BELIEVABILITY
(EMOTIONAL
BELIEVABILITY)
COMMUNICATIO
N

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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 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:

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:

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 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 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!

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
drink exactly to their taste, they will be eager to come back."
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 brand 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.

So, what are emotional benefits?

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