Consumers are ruled by emotions. When you buy something often, the choice largely depends on how “moved” you are with the product’s concept. This is part of the reason why amid an aisle of baby products, a new mother pick a particular brand has something to do with the emotional appeal as an integral part of brand management. But emotional branding is not just about appealing to customers’ emotions per se or creating an advertisement out of it. Emotional branding requires an in-depth approach which often points to various correlated points of the business.

The marketing concept— emotional branding—refers to the practice of brand-building which directly appeals to consumer’s emotions, ego, needs, and/or aspirations. Marketers and advertisers create an unseen bond between consumers and a certain product by provoking a particular emotion. The very foundation of this concept lies in the emotion-based ego-gratification centered at consumer needs. It is a fulfillment of one’s needs by way of delivering answers or solutions to problems while appealing to the emotion subconsciously.

Many brand bigwigs have mastered emotional branding resulting to cult following. It is important to note that such practice borders on the profound. Methods being used are often meant to trigger a powerful reaction from consumers. It is not a one-time deal though. Emotional branding requires consistency and constancy to build a lasting connection with consumers.

When it comes to leveraging consumer emotions, building a loyal and lasting following requires careful identification of your brand’s promise and personality. Of course, it must also highlight the perks and distinctive features of the products or services your brand carries—and how such features and benefits connect to the emotions of consumers.

Like telling heart-rending tales, emotional branding uses archetypal and universal feelings of guilt, fear, trust, security, competitiveness, love, sense of belonging, control, desires and passion, instant gratification, freedom, sense of relaxation, being stylish or trendy, and so on. Some brands, for instance, make use of consumers’ fear of being left behind or of not being able to spend time with a loved one as a central theme of a Christmas ad featuring their product. Other brands inject the “happy” appeal to their brands to celebrate the yuletide season. Whether appealing to negative or positive emotions, both concepts drive at getting an emotional response from their end-users in an effort to make a sale and to capture their loyalty in the long run.

Emotional branding is definitely putting consumers on a pedestal. To be able to show your consumers that such is the case, it is essential to decide carefully which emotion to target. In all emotional branding strategies, it is crucial to carefully identify and define your target market’s core emotional needs. Communicate this cohesively and make sure that you add a sense of encouragement on their part.

With the Internet and social media, consistent and timely communications must also be done accordingly to reinforce the said move. A cognitive element must also be added to the mix to boost appeal on emotional intelligence. Be reminded that you can easily lose consumers to strong emotional appeal without a cognitive element. This will allow a pinch of practicality which many consumers are so keen of these days.

Indeed, the concept of emotional branding has always proven to be an effective strategy. While old practices are still alive and kicking, new rules are being injected to the concept these days by virtue of online platforms and social media. Continue relearning the ropes of the trade by updating your branding strategy. Best of all, be consistent and constant to develop a deep sense of touch with your target market and convert them into avid followers in the long run.