Emotional Branding

It is a term that is used by marketing communication professionals and refers to the practice of using the emotions of a consumer to build a brand. This type of marketing is designed to appeal to an emotion, a human need, or a perceived aspiration of a segment of a target group of consumers. In many cases this type of marketing message triggers a desire for the advertised brand or product that may not be fully rationalized but implants a strong and lasting mental attachment or bonding. A feeling of nostalgia is also part of this emotional mix.

Beginning in the mid twentieth century, businesses began to implement product branding, because marketers began to understand that using unique names, terms, and design of a company symbol would set one seller of a good or service as separate from other companies that sold similar products or services. Marketing professionals also learned that in order for consumers to form a relationship between themselves and a brand, the brand needed to be associated by specific values and symbols attached to it.

The play on emotion in branding became revolutionized with Sigmund Freud’s popularization of the “unconscious mind” from 1912. According to Freud, the unconscious mind automatically forms attachments that does not include much, if any, introspection, but does have great influence on motivation.

This motivation is what is behind emotional branding. Creating a bond through emotional branding uses ideological values to create messages which promotes significant feelings associated with the brand.

There are multiple techniques for achieving an emotional response to a brand. One subliminal approach to emotional branding is using calming music in the background of a video showing people enjoying a product. Emotional branding is something that evolves over time and through repetition of values and images to solidify a certain brand image.