For years, we marketers have loved dashboards. We passionately track impressions, CTRs, engagement rates, and conversions, only to name a few.
But do they actually explain why people actually make a decision? Aren’t these mere metrics to make an impressive report?
Try to feed this thought for a minute and ask yourself these questions:
- Why does a funny meme get viral?
- Why does a luxury product not sell only because of its features?
It’s the collective joy that spreads across communities that makes a meme viral.
It’s only when people associate a luxury item with their sense of status or pride that it becomes an aspiration.
So what’s it that pushes a human mind to make a decision? It’s the emotion; something you can’t find on a dashboard.
But does it get the attention it deserves? Not really. Often we dismiss it by simply calling is “fluffy”. Though that must have been the case when people did not have many choices and would buy only because there was a need for that product.
But now, when hundreds of options are laid before people, often unsolicited, people can take the liberty to follow what appeals hardest to their emotions while fulfilling the need.
Emotions Beats 'looking nice'
We all remember the lessons on how to create catchy headlines, slick animations, and clever CTAs. Those still stay true, but only if they strengthen the emotional connection. Otherwise, it’s just clutter.
This principle is even more relevant to landing pages, comparison charts and product pages.
When building out any of these, ask: is it telling a connecting story strongly or does it just look nice? The content has to reinforce the emotion you aim to evoke in people to make a decision.
How to implement this approach practically
You must be thinking that it is easier said than done. Where’s the practicality here?
The answer is real testimonials. But not just the written ones. Tell short customer stories, feature visuals showing people using the product and sharing their experience.
If it is for a service, showcase videos where people share the outcomes they achieved because of the service.
However, authenticity is key here. People are smart enough to tell what’s true and what’s shallow marketing. Be wise there.
How emotion outperforms logic
The psychology here is simple. People decide emotionally, then justify rationally. Logic backs up the purchase, but emotion makes it happen.
This must be your personal experience, too. When you bought your last pair of shoes, even though you had enough to live comfortably, you gave in to the desire. But you sure convinced yourself that you needed those badly for that upcoming wedding function.
A few quick examples:
- Insurance: Urgency may work, but campaigns that sell hope and protection convert better in the long term.
- F&B: Discounts attract once. Humour and nostalgia bring people back.
- Cybersecurity: Features explain the product, but fear of risk drives sign-ups.
Marketers who only speak to logic leave half their audience untouched.
Instead of only mapping buyer personas, marketers should map emotional journeys. And, as a result, content should be strategised differently for each funnel stage. That, but with room for tweaks since people barely follow a linear journey.
Imagine a funnel guided by feelings.
Curiosity, surprise (“Oh, this exists?”)
Trust, clarity (“Can I rely on this brand?”)
Relief, safety (“This will solve my problem.”)
Suddenly, you’re not just selling products. You’re guiding emotional states. And that’s what makes campaigns stick.
Case snapshots
You must remember Cadbury’s classic tagline, “Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye”, disseminated especially during festive seasons. The campaign successfully convinced people that gifting chocolates to their loved ones equalled the traditional ‘mithai’ or other gifts.
They highlighted the moments of pure love and joy by smartly slipping in their products.
The future of emotions as KPIs
The future of marketing isn’t about replacing hard metrics that we discussed at the beginning of this blog. It’s about layering them with the invisible ones.
Dashboards that don’t just show impressions but emotional resonance –
- How much joy did this campaign trigger?
- How much trust did this landing page build?
- How much belonging does this community create?
Because at the end of the day, every click, share, and conversion starts with an emotion. Ignore that, and you’re only looking at half the data.
Where to draw boundaries
In our personal experience, we are privy to the fact that emotions like guilt and fear are strong enough to pull a crowd. But it only crumbles trust in the long term.
Hence, it’s necessary to draw ethical boundaries about what not to capitalise on. As an established business owner, you’d want your customers to come back to you and augment their purchases. For that, you have to ensure that your emotional influence aligns with what you deliver.
Emotions should guide you to a more enlightened path of marketing. It shouldn’t be a manipulating tool to entice your customers. This sure will raise the bar for you, but the payoff is worth it. Who doesn’t want longevity and customer loyalty?!
Closing thought
Marketing has always been about people, not platforms. And people don’t live by data, graphs, and spreadsheets. They live by feelings. Some may deny, but they are the building blocks of one’s state of mind.
So the next time you build a campaign, don’t just ask: “What’s the ROI?”
Ask instead: “What do we want our audience to feel?”
Because if you can answer that, the ROI will follow.