Emotion by Design

Be empathic and curious

To develop your “vision advantage” in brand marketing, which involves perceiving and leveraging insights others might overlook, two crucial traits are essential: empathy and curiosity.

Empathy involves understanding others’ perspectives, feelings, and needs. Diversify your team by including individuals from underrepresented groups to gain a broader worldview and enrich your creative process. An example is Nike’s Equality campaign, which addressed the injustice faced by Black Americans.

Curiosity fuels creativity by encouraging you to explore unconventional sources of inspiration. Cultivate this trait by starting a visual journal to capture inspiring images, planning trips around seeking inspiration, and sharing your experiences with your team. Nike’s team practices curiosity through excursions to observe other creative experts.

By embracing empathy and curiosity, you can craft compelling stories that resonate deeply with your audience and distinguish your brand from competitors.

Take risks

Business success often requires taking calculated risks, much like you can’t catch a wave without getting wet. Newly established businesses understand the need for risk-taking and experimentation to make breakthroughs in their industries. However, some brands become risk-averse after achieving initial success, which hinders further growth. To continue thriving, it’s essential to maintain a culture of risk-taking, allowing for innovative ways to engage with consumers.

Build your brand identity thoughtfully

In business, forming emotional connections with customers requires revealing your brand’s true self, including values and purpose. This is achieved through building a brand identity akin to an individual’s signature. This identity consists of visual elements like logos, colors, and typography, creating a consistent and recognizable representation of your brand.

The logo is especially critical, needing to be simple yet conveying a compelling narrative and reflecting your values and purpose. Beyond visuals, your brand identity should be evident in how you present your products, evoking emotions in your audience. For instance, Nike’s famous Wings poster embodies its identity, emphasizing that anyone can achieve greatness. A brand identity is a powerful tool that shapes perceptions, fosters connections, and influences consumer behavior.

Create memorable stories to represent your brand

To make your brand’s stories memorable, it’s crucial to evoke emotions that connect with your audience. Each brand story should revolve around revealing your values. There are various approaches to storytelling:

Film: Create powerful narratives through films, like Nike’s “Find Your Greatness” campaign during the 2012 London Olympics, emphasizing that greatness is attainable by everyone.

Music: Use classic songs adapted to contemporary contexts to enhance your brand story, as Nike did with Elvis Presley’s “A Little Less Conversation” for the 2002 World Cup.

Emerging Content Platforms: Explore alternative content distribution channels beyond traditional TV commercials. For instance, Nike’s Kobe System campaign 2012 portrayed Kobe Bryant’s humorous side through short-form content on Twitter and YouTube, diverging from conventional advertising methods.

By utilizing these resources and strategies, your brand’s narratives can better stir emotions, engage audiences, and leave a lasting impact.

Stop following trends and be unapologetically authentic

To turn your product into a cultural icon, authenticity is critical. Don’t follow trends; stay true to your brand’s identity and purpose. Focus on your mission, and build a product that reflects its true meaning. This approach fosters a deep and genuine connection with consumers, who, in turn, can elevate your product.

Highlight your product’s purpose, not its features

To build a dedicated customer base, focus on your product’s impact on people’s lives, not just its features. Emphasize your product’s purpose and how it can benefit consumers. This approach helps build belief in your product, with satisfied customers becoming advocates who, in turn, attract more followers.

Consider appointing a relatable and inspiring ambassador to showcase your product’s purpose. An example is Nike’s Apple Watch Nike+ launch in 2017, featuring comedian Kevin Hart. Instead of highlighting technical features, they focused on motivating non-professional athletes to start running. With his personal running journey and influential persona, Kevin helped convey the product’s purpose effectively.

By emphasizing purpose and utilizing relatable ambassadors, you can create a passionate customer base that genuinely believes in your brand.

Finally

To stand out in the market, connect with consumers emotionally. Emotional bonds foster loyalty and advocacy, creating lasting relationships beyond transactions. Regardless of your business, these insights can help you achieve this.

Authenticity and transparency are essential in revealing the human side of your business. This truly matters for building solid and lasting connections with your audience.

Source: Emotion by Design, By Greg Hoffman; Blinkist Summary