Power of Emotional Branding

The Power Of Emotional Branding Scope – This paper attempts to define emotional branding & techniques used to achieve the same â€Å"People spend money when and where they feel good† – Walt Disney The word brand is derived from Old English meaning â€Å"burning stick† (and ultimately from the Indo-European word meaning â€Å"to be hot†). Livestock branding was used by the ancient Egyptians as early as 2700 BC as a theft deterrent, as stolen animals could then be readily identifiable. A Brand is something that encapsulates the key features of the product – its image, usage and price – in an easily recognizable and interesting form. From the consumer viewpoint, the brand is a signal of quality. Their positive experience with brands helps establish both a preference for the brand as well as an emotional attachment. Advertisers today do not advertise by simply selling a product to consumers but rather to sell a lifestyle and an identity through their products. The emotional branding falls in the zone of pull strategy. Emotional branding targets pain points like ladies & children. Brands enable their owners to enjoy sustainable competitive advantages—and therefore superior financial performance. We can consider that as per the Maslow’s pyramid different people have same needs at different stages of their life. So the emotional branding is done depending upon the product and the niche in which it has positioned it self. Like for a trendy ladies bicycle you would not take a muscle man for emotional branding rather the emotions will be focused on a pleasing looking young lady with whom the other girls can identify themselves with . Here we would like to say that the characters shown in the emotional branding should not always be the end users , it could be aimed at the decision makers. Like for example a baby shown in the advertisement is a very strong catalyst for mothers who are the decision makers ,to purchase the product. When for emotional branding if the organization shows a player or is showing a celebrity it wants to state the message that its product also has in it the energy, skills or looks like the brand ambassador. For experiential or credence goods, product quality is often difficult to discern even after consumption, and you might need extensive experience before arriving at such an assessment. After all, you do not drive a car for a week and become convinced of its overall reliability! In such cases, the consumer’s brand perceptions of intangibles such as implied reliability; quality and image of product innovation and expertise play a critical role in determining customer loyalty. Experience with a brand lowers perceived risk and enhances loyalty. Lack of experience with a product leads to higher risk perceptions reducing the likelihood of that option being tried by consumers. Thus, in â€Å"experience† goods consumer often rely on the sellers’ expertise. In this case the sellers brand associations lead the consumer’s choice. Recently Toyota appointed Aamir Khan as their Brand ambassador for their Innova model , the link is perfect ness off all features between both. Products confirm to some specifications, comply with some tolerance range and confirm to some quality standards. The product-features get translated to functional value propositions (FVP) for the customer. The better functional value proposition could be also be offered by offering similar functionalities at lesser price. Thus, the products offering just functional value proposition are quite vulnerable. A better safeguard is to offer the customer an emotional reason to purchase over and above the functional one. Let us call it Emotional Value Proposition (EVP) The emotional reason is difficult to be replicated by the competitor, hence, even of the competitor matches the FVP, EVP creates the immunity. The customer starts seeing a definite benefit in associating with it. Successful brands own the emotions in the customers mind. The customers associate feeling of safety with Volvo and trustworthiness with TATA. Over a period of time the Brands develop a relationship with the customer. Since, the Brands consistently evoke the emotions, customers tend use them to express themselves. That is the ultimate level the Brands can reach. At this level, they become the part of customer’s personality. The only a handful Brands can achieve this enviable position and therefore become immortal. Out of close to 50 Tea brands tracked in NRS 2002, there is only one brand that has made to the Superbrand status in India. Each brand offers a tangible functional value proposition, the missing link is emotional connect. 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. [pic] [pic] Branding began as a way for consumers to identify the product with the craftsman . Today the link between product and name may be more tenuous but it’s as effective as ever . Celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Amitabh Bachan lend star power to products that otherwise would be starting from zero to create an identity and image in the minds of consumers. In the late 80’s the handloom saris of Sambalpur , Orissa got a indirect celebrity branding due to the use by the late then Prime Minister of India Smt. Indira Gandhi & adopted by one of the news anchors of Doordarshan. Celebrities are brands. They are defined by what people think about them, they have a competitive positioning relative to other celebrities. Fans of celebrities get excited when they see them; they want their endorsement; they often feel some kind of affinity to what a particular celebrity â€Å"stands for. When a celebrity becomes the face of a charity, or lends his name to another product or service, customers of that celebrity show rising levels of interest in the associated organization, product or offer. Some of the image of the celebrity is â€Å"transferred† to the third party. The inherent upside of attaching a celebrity to a brand is that the brand literally has a face, name and personality that immediately projects an image of a living, breath ing, credible person as opposed to a faceless corporate entity. The downside is that individuals are not as stable or as easily controllable as corporate entities. As fame comes and goes, so goes the brand. But when the star is ascending, the idea is to capitalize on the glamour of celebrity by selling a piece of the dream. Jennifer Lopez sells music, movies, clothes and perfume bearing her name. The brands are aspirational and literally sell the fairy-tale like qualities of the celebrity and his/her life. KBC is a hit because for the first time, Indian TV participants are able to walk home with large amounts of money, which taps into a basic, if often denied, human characteristic: greed. But the biggest plus factor in the show is Bachchan. His importance lies first in his stature as a past Bollywood star; his skill as a host is a bonus. Bachchan brand has transitioned from the angry young underdog fighting for social justice, to a caring achiever who, having journeyed from rags (in a manner of speaking) to riches, is willing to hold your hand and guide you along the same path. He’s the striver who succeeded and the people love him for it. Legend has it that Tommy Hilfiger’s clothing brand enjoyed a US$ 100 million sales climb over a one year period after rapper Snoop Dogg appeared clothed in a Hilfiger logo rugby shirt on television program â€Å"Saturday Night Live. J. Lo’s first perfume â€Å"Glow by J. Lo,† released in 2002, was an instant hit among 15 to 21 year old females – the same group who buy her albums. While no exact figures are public, in early January 2003, industry observers estimated that her fragrance sales totaled $44 million in the scent’s first four months. Similarly we have Michael Jordon associated with Nike which catapulted its sales from about $1 billion (1985) to over $9 billion (1997). Pierre Cardin is often cited as an example of an over-extended brand, which lost credibility for exactly this reason. When there were more extensions and diffusion lines than core product, the brand almost collapsed. By analogy, if David Beckham does too many non-footballing activities, of if Jennifer Lopez launches too many clothing lines, one suspects that they will no longer be taken seriously in their day jobs. Amitabh Bachan is likely to loose his brand appeal if he continues to advertise for literally anything & everything . Key Mandates for Emotional Branding From Consumers to People: Consumers buy, People live. Create a desire in a customer in a positive manner without harassing them. From Product to Experience: Product fulfill needs, experiences fulfill desires. Customers buying just for need is driven by price and convenience. A shopping experience as being provided in the modern Malls has added value and will remain in consumers emotional memory as a connection made on a level for beyond need. From Honesty to Trust: Honesty is the best policy. Truth is even better. It needs to be earned. One of the most powerful moves towards building consumer trust was retailer’s implementation of the â€Å"no questions asked† return policy some years ago. 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 for example Amul. There is no stopping a brand when it is preferred. From Notoriety to Aspiration :Being known does not mean that you are also loved! Reliance Industries is a household name in India. 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. From Function to Feel Functionality of a product can become stale if its appearance and usage are not also designed for the senses. The Apple iMac and Gillette razors are brands that are focused on presenting fresh shapes and sensory experiences consumers appreciate. From Communication to Dialogue Communication is telling. Dialogue is sharing, a two-way street, a conversation with the consumer. 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. † – 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. A well-managed celebrity endorsement comes down to â€⠀ the ability to convey to the target market that the celebrity is benefiting from the brand, and they will too. So Emotional Branding is the new mantra. As Mike McNight said, â€Å"People don’t really care how much you know until they know how much you care. † Bibliography Marc Gobe – Emotional Branding, Allworth Press Vivek Vaidya – Separating Brands from Labels , Associate Project Director – Vertebrand Management Consulting Rajendra Srivastava , Greg Metz Thomas – The Executive’s Guide to Branding ,Corporate Performance and Brands: The Risk and Return Effects of Branding – Zyman Institute of Brand Science, Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. [email  protected] com , [email  protected] com. Alycia de Mesa – Sell-lebrity : Products Get Star Treatment Chris Grannell and Ruwan Jayawardena – Celebrity Branding Cabell AK – Celebrity Endorsements –Reach for the Stars Vincent Grimaldi – The Fundamentals of Branding David Liss – The Brands We Love to Hate Angela Phipps Towle – Celebrity branding Glenn Livingston, PH. D. -Emotions vs. Emotional Benefits in Marketing Executive Solutions, Inc. Syosset New York ,[email  protected] com Raju Bist – A brand in the life of Bachan