Emotions
“The essential difference between emotions and reason is that emotions lead to action,
while reason leads to conclusions.”
(Donald Calne, Neuroscientist)
Emotions: Awakening Feelings Since the 18th century, emotions have been considered "irrational," "dark," difficult to control, almost as lower motives. However, it is now undisputed that they are the main motives for customer behavior. The customer is not an economically thinking rationalist, not a Homo Economicus who makes a purely purposeful sales decision. Faced with market saturation, this approach would be hopelessly overwhelmed. Customers buy what gives them a "good feeling" for whatever reason. WE-BRANDS provide an ideal added value that fascinates, entertains, amuses, or captivates people. How We Make Decisions Advocates of neuromarketing believe that decisions are strongly emotionally influenced and made only to a very limited extent consciously. Of the 11 million sensory impressions that our brain can process every second, only a tiny fraction, about 40, enter consciousness. Emotions act as filters of perception. People preferentially perceive things to which they can emotionally relate. This is why we reliably notice when our own name is suddenly mentioned in a previously ignored conversation. Given that emotionally charged aspects take precedence and emotions not only shape perceptions but also drive decisions, it is logical to assume that successful brands evoke the right emotions. Emotionally driven brands are predictably "strong," while neutral ones are "weak." A brain scan provides evidence. Through MRI tests, it was determined which brain regions are actually active when subjects think about strong, weak, or eight other unknown brands. The result was clear: Strong brands activated brain regions responsible for processing positive emotions. The processing patterns for weak and unknown brands, on the other hand, did not differ: Brain regions responsible for processing negative emotions were active in both cases. In short: Strong brands evoke positive feelings, while weak or unknown brands do not. To create a strong brand, one should therefore positively charge their offering and design all "touchpoints" with the brand (product, communication, behavior at the Point of Sale) accordingly.Rolf Kreiner (McDonald's): No brand wants to be just any product for its customers: A successful brand reaches the "head and heart" of consumers.
Conclusion: Emotions- Buying decisions are predominantly made unconsciously and emotionally. Brain scans confirm: Strong brands, WE-BRANDS, stand out by giving customers a "good feeling."
- Emotional marketing means charging the brand with positive emotion. This applies not only to the product itself but also to all touchpoints with the customer.
