Bring Heart into Your Business or Risk Losing It

The Change

One thing I am known for in my field of work is bringing empathy into every project I commit to, every client I say yes to, and every design I create. It is what sets me apart, what has always set me apart. It’s what my clients love about me and the main reason they return.

In today’s society, there has been an obvious increase in social justice, empathy, equity, and inclusion. No matter which political view you share, we ALL have been feeling the need and desire for kindness and equality. We see that across the board within the past couple of years. Brands are starting to realize that there is a culture that will hold them responsible, that has the ability to “cancel” them in the name of equality and justice. Often times they are doing the good work, despite the occasional one-offs that might be considered “extreme” to one side of our country’s divide. Regardless, one thing is certain, society is bringing back their heart, and businesses better jump on board with this change.

Long gone are the sexist days of Mad Men, where “the men” and hustling were placed before self-care. Today’s society is holding their mental health and heart above everything else, even their career. They’re demanding equal rights, demanding better pay, demanding more vacation-all for those two things they are holding dear.

Challenges of Bringing Heart into Business

Emotional Marketing

Emotional marketing, as the name suggests, refers to marketing efforts driven by emotion. Ultimately, the goal is to encourage consumers to take action or engage with the brand (by noticing, remembering, purchasing, or sharing) because the marketing techniques utilized evoke a feeling.

However, it’s important to note that feelings are more complicated than simple labels suggest. For instance, there’s a variety of different sub-facets of happiness. The emotion of joy encompasses delight, fulfillment, and contentment—the list can go on and on. That’s why marketers should specify the exact feeling they’re targeting when crafting emotional marketing campaigns.

Did you know that subconscious factors determine 95% of consumers’ purchase decisions? The largest of these is emotion. So, if you can successfully promote your consumer to form an emotional connection to your brand, you’re more likely to turn them into a customer.

A survey of 9,000 customers revealed that 82% with high emotional engagement would always purchase the brand they’re loyal to when they’re in the market. This is a significantly higher number than 38% of consumers with low emotional engagement.

You can ultimately find that those consumers will advocate for your brand. Consumers that have an emotional relationship with a company will likely recommend the brand at a rate of 71%. The average rate, by comparison, is 45%.

Emotional marketing asks brands to consider something beyond what functions their products serve. Instead, this facet of marketing focuses on how their products—and advertising or campaigns—make consumers feel. That’s just one of the reasons why emotional marketing is considered to be highly effective.

The essence of emotional marketing is tapping into something that comes intrinsically to humans: feeling. It can also help your brand create a dynamic first impression. Consider this: what’s more memorable than an experience, advertisement, or post that evokes emotion?

Conclusion

Whether you begin an Emotional Marketing Campaign or start being more empathetic with your clients and in the projects you do, one thing is certain… — the act of showing you care about your client/customer is what will end up increasing your ROI.

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