9 Core Customer Feelings That Stimulate Brand Engagement

Emotions are a powerful, compelling force for action; using them in your online marketing will benefit you not just in terms of engagements

Richard Madden, chief strategy officer of Kitcatt Nohr says, “Most people don’t think they can be bribed, it’s just that they don’t like admitting it to themselves.” Yes, dear digital marketers, you read it right. Contrary to the widely embraced notion of bribery in the realm of a brand, it is through tapping that little yet largely influential space that separates the “stale”  from a “sale”.

Bribe here though must not be mistaken from forcing a connection. Instead, it must be perceived as an opportunity and responsibility to tap the emotional sphere of consumers. Bribe must be taken as a call to align the disconnection of a brand to a highly connected world in as far as the digital marketing landscape is concerned.

With the “brand bribe” card on the table, here are 9 very simple key emotions to help your brand unlock the seemingly intimidating door of powerful brand engagement. These emotions are based from the white paper entitled “Implicit Association Test: Measuring the Effect of the Subconscious on a Mobile Phone Brand’s Value.”

One of the most remarkable figures across traditional and online media platforms is no less than Tyrion Lannister of the phenomenal series Game of Thrones. What draws people near to his misadventures is that he turns his disadvantages to larger-than-life stories that spell success after a mile-long stress. What marketers must look at is touching-base with a missed market, and giving these segments something that would give them a great and inarguable sense of self.

Brands are consumed in the hopes of filling in a chasm that usually comes in the form of incapabilities. These incapabilities are not misgivings; they are part and parcel of being human. All consumers have an “imp” in them. Take time to search them, and once you find them, translate them to your content’s hidden gem.

In a span of less than two weeks, Samsung’s take on the future of football garnered more than 10 million views. Though you’d have to spare a little over 7 minutes only to get a “To Be Continued” ending, there’s something about the whole shebang of winning over aliens that make humans feel the kick of being mightier than something unknown or unfathomable. The idea of addressing the “fragile” side that come with being “limited” earns and instant unlimited attention and gratification.

From “Craving Satisfied” to “More than Satisfied”

It may be a late night or an extremely early morning when you crave for a certain food or a specific shop. Satisfaction is based on available options, and getting the instant lift, the sudden rush or a quick fix. It is not based on a problem-solution set up; rather, it boils down to what is available and accessible. Content that is meant to satisfy must be all over the place, and is found at high traffic space. This should also come in bite-sized portions, so that it can morph into some sort of addiction.

A good example of this is how Pinterest has made its mark in the market. Using well-framed photos with links to websites that usually owned by small businesses, pinners can’t help but dig deeper and deeper while they digest the idea of repinning. The idea here is totally forego a call to act; and rely more on the emotions that the photos exude more than getting a nice capture. Last year, Pinterest overtook referral traffic that is generated by social landscapes via LinkedIn, Reddit, Google+ and X combined.

See how the simple satisfaction from pinning away can build your brand. (Photo from shareaholic.com)

Be careful though, because satisfaction is an option that can be changed as soon as a better alternative comes along. As a rule, go beyond bite-sized satisfaction and give them mouthfuls of suggestions that are aimed of giving them a pleasant experience.

The Perks of a Pleased Personality

When a brand lifts a heavy burden off the shoulder or when people have a genuinely grand time during a one-hour lunch-break, chances are consumers will be pleased and proud about that tiny moment. In a world where good vibes become farther and few, being given the choice to actually pause and be able to escape a death-defying deadline, a really unlucky day, or even the boredom, is a good distraction.

While at it, a brand that pleases also makes interactions that will lead to repeat visits, and even referrals. Don’t say “please,” instead, work doubly hard to give your consumers the experience that they can easily cling to should they want a slice of stress-free happy meal or deal. More so, pleasing must never ever go alongside pleading; as this might possibly cause a sense of being too easy to bend or even unstable.

When pleasing people, don’t do a please parade. Make them subtle and even nostalgic via YouTube by Procter & Gamble.

Taking the case of the Youtube video above created by Proctor & Gamble, it has generated 19,269,052 views as of this writing. Stress and distress are two words that define the life of modern day moms. What better way to reward them with a Mother’s Day greeting that is silently screaming? Capturing a mom’s daily deadlines that are not part of any nation’s per capita income got more than 19 million hits. The idea of being pleased is juxtaposed with a story that is already out there. It’s never new, but it speaks universally of simple truths that give moms something to smile (proudly and loudly) about.

When You’re Unhappy and We Know It

A single unhappy customer can turn the table of a known brand to an infamous brand. As bloggers continue to explore this world’s “free market”, learn to listen to what makes them sigh and cry. Some call it reputation management, but in reality, when you see an unhappy post that can sometimes go overboard, take it, and turn it to something that’ll solve a problem or a pressing whim.

Aim for a brand bend that would make your customer’s break into a smile as they pay your price from YouTube by SUBWAY UK Ireland.

Subway is an example of turning unhappy meals to happier, though arguably healthier meals – though the calorie count is challenged by its biggest rival McDonald’s. Subway has earned the highest “buzz scores” in YouGov BrandIndex ranking last year.

Position your content and messaging in such a way that it hears out the reasons why they can’t wait to have a brand break. Don’t attack the competing brand; instead show what you can offer better, in a simpler manner. Be a sounding board, or an emery board; then hit them when they’re at rock bottom.

Juicy Fruits of Frustration

Frustration is perhaps one thing constant in every waking man and woman – a long queue under a rainy day, being stuck in an elevator for more often than usual because there is someone who goes down in each floor or not being able to enjoy your dream destination because no Visa is available anywhere. The list can go on and on, but one thing is true. Frustration is one powerful tool for sustainable content marketing strategy.

Imagine frustration in the eye of a child. Adding a hefty dose of pop cult never hurts via YouTube by Volkswagen.

The fact that frustration is rooted on not being able to do a certain task already puts your market right on your target. It is crucial to strike while the iron is hot, meaning, once you spot a sore thumb that gives off an air of frustration; you are ready to take on the action. Volkswagen has a good number of ads that adds a different tinge to childlike and mundane whims, like this 3-year old ad featuring Darth Vader’s Force.

Due Negligence Meets a Dutiful Marketer

A long-time relationship with a brand or service usually results to taking consumers for granted. After all, a decade with the same marketing strategies, seasonal promotions backed up with a 10-year old website still brings cash. Business owners, who think that loyalty is key, are no longer in a safe ground. As the wave of content marketing continues to change the marketspace, overlooking a customer paves the way to try a new brand, whether be it an innocent look or a hungry stare. When charting this territory, marketers must look at the cause of the brand’s negligence first, before placing a move. Since a wide array of products, services, websites and content are generally generic; negligence also abounds.

Due diligence means evolving in spite having a marketing plan that has been working for 100 years. via YouTube by TV plus Network.

Make your content care about your audience in every step of the sales funnel. Seek patterns via search engine optimization and actual conversations from your store, be it online or offline. Weave the negligent streaks of your brand in the context of repositioning, re-launch or rebrand. This gives you more room to grow as you work on the things that dampen your conversations in your circles and the circles you aim to build relationship with. Dutiful marketers know that a slight overlook is enough to get a mere once-over from a then loyal consumer, at present. Oreo knows that kids and even their parents want more than twisting, licking and dunking their cookies in a glass of milk. Due to the trends where parents do not really have time with their kids, the brand made its 100th birthday a “digitally divine” experience. Instead of forcing its well-loved message, Oreo itself has been the medium to craft an avalanche of real messages that are driven by both its current and potential consumers.

The Supreme Submissive can be Dismissive

Do not be fooled by the so-called followers of a trend or a bandwagon. If you look really well, they are the bunch who brings the ladies and gentlemen to the yard. While a submissive mind readily dives into that which that gives a promise, getting that person to dive is a different level. Since submissive people are typically at loss or near a desperate call for help, they tend to grab messages that are highly persuasive. The challenge though is that because they are in dire need of a solution to a serious or recurrent problem, they expect to get larger-than-life results early on.

In the case of content marketing, results take time to bring hard numbers; especially when a website is facing challenges. Business owners know they need digital marketing, but would be hesitant to try something different or something totally new for their brands to make it. Brands need time to grow sustainably. As a content marketing arm, tell your client the scope and the limit of your work; but don’t stop there. Give them tailored, customized solutions in such a way that they get to appreciate it.

Quick and easy is what content should be, especially for people who don’t have time for painfully time-consuming household chores via YouTube by Lowe’s Home Improvement.

One of the major hurdles of most home improvement brands is that they come across as intimidating, instead of welcoming. Lowe’s Home Improvement gives information that are designed for those who are far from loving D.I.Y.Lowe’s guides them in getting to know not only its product and as the brand empowers them, even in its simplest sense. Being submissive is your precious chance to educate your market; too -a great way to talk to them, instead of yapping away about you.

Insert Interest Here and See Sparks

Forget formula when getting consumers on the boat of interest. Refocus your gears and see interest as an absence of boredom. Viewing your messages through this lens allows you to disassociate yourself from what the current hit is. Who would have thought that a Korean gentleman who dances crazily will get to share his quirks to a world that don’t have an idea as to what his song’s lyrics mean?

Interesting must cut through all sorts of noises, especially then-taboo issues like ethnicity, English competency and even projecting an “ideal” image via YouTube by official Psy.

Insert interest with a hint of gut. Keep churning content that are occasionally out-of-the-box and out-of-the-blue. Sometimes, interest is not about the quality; rather it’s a cure to an itch in an office desk, a kitchen counter, or a traffic jam.

In Control

Face it. Nobody wants to feel that they are losing grip in spite being down the drain. Consumers who lose control would not want to get a lecture or a guideline to fix themselves or their circumstance. What they want to hear are people who have undergone the same misfortune or discomfort; as they get tips and tricks to get back on track.

A different yet very real take on the way to health and fitness via Youtube by Nike.

Are your current content too preachy? Does your blog send off a vibe similar to a doctor who gives a prescription with a monosyllabic tone? Consumers yearn to get a product or a service that will make their life easier, and their conflicts, more manageable.

Similarly, an app that has solved the eternal problem of having to hail a cab during a rush hour now proudly and loudly says that its capital is almost zero-cost. This over simplistic concept fuses logic to pacify commuters who get frantic. Of course, such success is harder to come by than winning a lottery; but, whether you are a small or big brand, answer one simple question: What specific conflict can my brand address to give my consumers a better grip in their daily going-about?

Key takeaways

Perception is way more potent and promising than reality. As Madden notes, “So the role of the emotional side is to provide people with a rationale as to why they have been motivated by a financial inducement to change their behavior.” Mind these key learnings when seeking to keep your audiences engaged with your brand:

• It's more than the bottom-line. More than a return on investment, brand engagement anchored on appealing to an aching or a longing, are more likely to succeed.
• Make it worth the click. Because the battle for connecting brands to consumers is getting trickier. With the responsibility that goes with publishing a blog or revamping a website comes the aim to unleash brand engagement to get a niche market’s commitment and making each post worth your audiences' attention
• Head back to the drawing board. If your content falls short of its KPIs at any point in the strategizing. Go back to your brainstorming room and work your way towards that one core emotion that should fuel your messaging. How are you weaving emotions in your interactions and how has it been going so far?

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