May 2008

"People spend money when and where they feel good."
- Walt Disney

A Brand is something that encapsulates the key features of your product - its image, usage and price - in an easily recognizable and interesting form. And so goes the contemporary definition. Wake up folks to the realm of emotional branding. Most managers seem to have missed out, the importance emotional branding have on their products. Like a B1 bomber campaigning in a war torn area, the ad agencies bombard the customer with advertisements in print and television with massive proposition that the consumer tends to miss out the 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.
How many of us have heard or seen advertisements of the popular website search engine Google.com? How did it become so popular? The simple answer is emotional branding. The simple answer is emotional branding. Google was able to create an emotional assurance in the consumers mind that his every search for information wouldn't go unserved. It has been widely accepted for years that brands offer psychological and social benefits. These benefits go beyond the features and function of a particular product; they extend to the overall customer experience and the lingering psychological and emotional aspects of the brand. The reliability, pace and depth of service all strengthened the 'google' brand. Google's founder Sergey Bin once remarked, "Google actually relies on our users to help with our marketing. We have a very high percentage of our users who often tell others about our search engine." The emphasis that Sergey Bin places on emotional branding is crystal clear.
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.
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 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!
So Emotional Branding is the new mantra. As Mike McNight said, "People don't really care how much you know until they know how much you care."

by Junaid M., Mamta S. Nair,Prabodh M. Das & Rahul Ramachandran

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