I work at a retail shop on weekends, so I am
exposed to the selling and marketing of brands on a regular basis, you might
even say I am a part of the brand marketing machine. I work in the sports
section of the shop where I witness
and assist an abundance of customers come in looking for a specific shoe from a
specific brand. When they don’t find what they are looking for it is either
they walks away with their spirits down or, every salesperson’s nightmare,
throw a ridiculous tantrum and demand that you find what they are looking for.
And when their mind is set, requesting that they chose something similar from
another brand only further induces their tantrum.
Why
does this happen you may ask, well it is because these people and many other have fallen prey to a skilful little
vice that brands use, it is referred to as ‘emotional branding’.
This is when a brand appeals to a consumer’s emotional state, needs and
desires. It is a term used mostly within Marketing Communication. Emotional
branding triggers an emotional response in the consumer, a desire and longing
for the product which they cannot fully understand or explain. The consumer even goes as far as developing
an attachment, bond and feeling of love towards the brand.
The
origin of branding lies within the symbols that brands use. These symbols are
created by graphic designers to hold a particular meaning and thus connect with
the consumer’s emotions and beliefs about themselves. The idea of associating a
brand to a lifestyle was first used by Thomas J. Barrett [1]in
the 1900’s when he used advertising to associate high culture and quality to
brand Pears Soap[2].
The successful marketing of this product using emotional manipulation saw other
brands take note and follow suit.
Emotional
branding is meant to create an undeniable bond between the product and the
consumer. It embeds a subconscious need for the consumer to acquire the product
in order to feel content, this why brands now strive to have a personal
relationship with their consumers. This is where brand personality comes into
play, when a brand has a personality it assumes human traits in order to
achieve differentiation.
So in terms of those customers I encounter on
a weekly basis asking them to consider another brand over their preferred one is
like asking them to drop a long time companion. I myself am guilty of falling
prey to emotional branding and developing a strong preference for certain
brands because of the image which they portray.
Reference:
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