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DOES EMOTIONS PLAY AS TOOL FOR BATTLE OF BRANDS: EMOTIONAL

BRANDING

Article · January 2012

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IJRFM Volume 2, Issue 2 (February 2012) (ISSN 2231-5985)

DOES EMOTIONS PLAY AS TOOL FOR BATTLE OF BRANDS:

EMOTIONAL BRANDING
Dr. Akhilesh Chandra Pandey*
Narendra Kumar**

ABSTRACT
Brands do play a prominent role in the market but the emotions can be used as a strategic
initiative for making it as successful brand. The function and rational appeal can be understood
to explain the very concern of consumer for its purchase but the emotional appeal is the most
effective way to create a positive attitude for the consumers. Through an extensive research and
development program, there is a set of rating scales that efficiently and reliably measure four
critically important emotional states. Together, these states represent the strength of the
emotional connection existing between a customer and a brand .Analysis of responses to the
individual items in this set of measures has revealed that customers develop emotional
attachment to a brand in a cumulative way, with Confidence as the foundation of a brand
relationship and Passion as the pinnacle.
Keywords:Emotion,Conation,Affect

*Assistant Professor, Department of Business Management, H.N.B.Garhwal University, Srinagar-

Garhwal, Uttarakhand.

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INTRODUCTION:
Last year, more than 3 lakh people did not reach home. This was the heading of the
advertisement of New India Assurance Company in which an innocent child is shown waiting for
his parents. Similarly many companies such as HDFC Life Insurance and Proctor & Gamble
have also tried to use the emotional route in their advertisements and branding. How effective are
such strategies in selling a product? Will such strategies work for a product such as servo, which
markets lubes? Does Branding on an emotional platform make a grater impact? Do such
emotional appeals and brands really move people for purchasing? The ability to use your and
others emotions in a positive and constructive way is the means to achieve the end, be it sales,
finance, productivity or relationship.
Emotion is a term frequently and familiarity used as synonymous with feelings. In psychology it
signifies a reaction involving certain physiological changes, such as an accelerated or retarded
pulse rate, the diminished or increased activities of certain glands, or a change in body, to further
activity. The three primary reaction of this type are anger, love and fear which occur either as an
immediate response to external stimuli or as the result an indirect subjective process, such as
memory, association, or introspection.
Brand is a name, usually a trade mark of a manufacturer or the product identified. By this name,
is a distinctive type of something product or service offered by manufacturer. Branding
originally stand for sharing a flash with a hot iron to produce a scale with an easily recognizable
pattern for identification or other purposes. Branding was formally used on human beings but the
practice is now not limited to identifying animals. Branding today is often done with chemicals
tattooing paints tagging or ear notching and also in the form of branding. Emotion in order to
leave an impact not a scar on the consumer.
Branding emotion signifies the role brands play in the enjoyment of consuming –the importance
of great design in creating those experiences. Branding emotion is a strategy which places the
consumer not the product at the forefront; it explores how brands can connect with people in a
more sensitive and humanistic way and touch people profoundly at the level of the senses and
emotions. In this way, by empowering consumer brands are ultimately empowered themselves.
The environment of emotions in branding allows the brands to own a unique and complying

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strategic visual and tactical perrsonality enaabling the brand

b to stand out com
mpletely from
m the
completion and win consumers
c m
minds.
RELEV
VANCE OF
O EMOTIONS:
The “Naakshtra” bran
nd of jewelrry advertise the impact of emotionss as a strateggic initiativee and
show companies ho
ow to develoop a powerrful, positivee bond andd create brannd loyalty with
consumers. It implem
ments sociallly responsibble strategies that demonnstrate a deeep understannding
of peoplee’s rapidly changing
c neeeds in moderrn era.
The citizzen brand arg
gues that beecause brandds now play an elevatedd role on em
motions of peeople,
extendingg beyond co
ommerce, the companiess have startted to responnd with an inncreased levvel of
involvem
ment in consu
umer’s lives and with coommitment to
t their well being. This commitmennt and
heighteneed sensitivitty to people are the new
w essential inngredients foor winning the
t market tooday.
The use of emotions is among tooday’s consuumers. Manyy companiess like Coca Cola, Cadbuury’s,
Godrej, HUL,
H LIC, Titan,
T besidees Citizen, allready underrstand that brrands must reflect
r the cuulture
and deepper personalitties of the coompanies thaat create, and are encashhing this factt and knowleedge.
In presennt market en
nvironment, just having a good prodduct is not enough,
e rathher a carefuul and
strategic brand strattegy enable the compannies to trannsform theirr products and
a servicess into
powerfull brands, crreate new brands
b for the
t target markets
m and position thhe brands inn the
competitive market place.
p For a successful
s brrand, it shouuld qualify thhe below meentioned

parameteers:

In
nternational Journal of Research
R in Finance
F & Marketing
M
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 IJRFM Volume 2, Issue 2 (February 2012) (ISSN 2231-5985)

* An emotion appeal creating an indelible impact on consumers.

* Powerful drive for potential and existing consumers.
*An approach to tap a high revenue potential need or market.
* Consistency
* Uniqueness
When consumers choose a brand, the reasons are specifically distinguished as functional, rational
and emotional. While functional and rational reasons would be clear to most people. The
emotional reasons are often referred to as substantiates and provide support for the delivery of
both the functional as well as rational benefits of a brand.
Emotional branding is a marketing approach where companies tap into these often latent
emotional needs to forge a compelling and long-lasting relationship between a brand and a
consumer.

Strength of
the Brand
Emotional

Rational

Functional

LEVELS OF CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT

Through an extensive research and development program, there is a set of rating scales that
efficiently and reliably measure four critically important emotional states.

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IJRFM Volume 2, Issue 2 (February 2012) (ISSN 2231-5985)

Confidence
in the
brand’s
promise,

Strength Pride in
Belief in
of being a
Brand’s
Emotional customer of
Integrity
Brand that brand

Passion for
the brand

Together, these states represent the strength of the emotional connection existing between a
customer and a brand .Analysis of responses to the individual items in this set of measures has
revealed that customers develop emotional attachment to a brand in a cumulative way, with
Confidence as the foundation of a brand relationship and Passion as the pinnacle.Ther are four
components: Confidence reflects the belief that the company can be trusted, always and
everywhere, to keep the promises that it makes. Integrity reflects the belief that the company
will always treat its customers fairly and can always be counted on to stand behind its products
and resolve any problems that might occur. Pride reflects the degree to which consumers feel
appreciated by the company and proud of their personal association with the brand. Passion
reflects the belief that the brand is essentially irreplaceable and represents a seemingly perfect fit
with the customer’s personal needs.
NOKIA: AN EMOTIONAL CASE STUDY
“Nokia phones are designed to be easy to use” This was the ad lines used by Nokia when it was a
nascent stage of mobile phones. But now the world of parity has hit the mobile phone market
just as it has many other technology product categories. The products range from the simple to
complex but every manufacturer offers, the latest features. Leapfrogging in sale between brands
frequently occurs based on design. But overall the market is predictable, with Nokia, Motorola,
Samsung and Sony Ericsson fighting it out at the top and several less successful brands? It
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certainly is not what product features are offered. How, then, do consumer choose? The answer
seems to be how the brands name appeals to them-emotional, physical or aesthetically?
Nokia group, the Finland based manufacturer of mobile phones, has been steadily working on its
corporate brand name and the management of consumer emotions over the last few years. Its
efforts have paid off, because it is now the number one brand in many markets around the world.
The brand has been built using the principles described above and has been consistently well
managed across all markets.Nokia has succeeded in lending emotional personality to is products,
without even giving them. Such is the strength of the emotional brand.Nokia has succeeded
where other big brand names have so far failed, chiefly by putting across the human face
technology-taking and dominating the emotional high ground.
Nokia, the Emotional Personality-Nokia has detailed many personality characteristics for its
brand. Consumers only to remember the overall impression of the list of attributes, as one would
think about someone they have met. As the focus is on customer relationship and trust is at the
heart personality carries over into the positioning strategy for the brand.
Branding Emotions vs. Emotional Appeals:
Emotional appeals are those appeals which are not preceded by careful analysis of pros and cons
of making a buying decision. Emotions are those mental agitations or excited states of feeling
which prompt up to make a purchase. Sales and marketing research finds that emotions are most
powerful motivators. The role of emotions in developing a branding strategy has marked a
simple but revolutionary shift in thinking that is placing the consumers, not the product, at the
forefront of a brand’s strategy. Marketing in 21st century has to adopt the strategy not as reactive
to the changing tastes and habits of consumers but as proactive to the change suppose to take
place in the market. Considering the importance of emotions branding has opened the pathway to
entirely new kind of thinking, which explores how brands can connect with people in a more
sensitive and humanistic way and touch people profoundly at the level of the senses and
emotions.Between the concept of brand awareness and the new concept using emotional
branding, the latter is more effective since it involves changing the consumer reality in the
decision process and brings a dimension of personalized relationship into the equation. But a few
issues, which should be considered while adopting such a branding strategy, are as follows;

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 Developing trust and Command Trust:Ethics are essential to be in business in the long
run. It requires a lot of effort on behalf of the company policies like “return the product if
found unsatisfactory is one such example for building trust with consumers.
 Preference imperative:Quality is imperative in order to stay in business. The quality
must be delivered whether it is expected or not by the consumer. Preference for brand is
the real mantra of success. The reason for buying should not be based as “ Me too”
strategy but something extra which can be distinguished as well as felt by the consumers
as it has been specifically designed by the company for him. For example-“I love you
Rasna”,“Serve with love care and ice.”
 Development of Emotional Brand Personality: Emotional brand personality ensures
character and charisma. Such brand personalities are special since they provoke
emotional responses and ensure unflinching consumer loyalty.
 Emotional presence is felt: Brand presence can have quite an impact on the consumers.
It can forge sound and permanent connection with people. Today even a stadium,
player’s uniform, bus stop all have been used to promote the brand. Most brand presence
strategies are based on the concept of quantity not quality.
 Dialogue rather than communication: Communication conducted by many companies
is one way process. It is like telling. Dialogue implies a two way street, a conversation
with consumers. It is sharing. This evolution is possible through the development of
digital media. It will help foster a rewarding partnership between people and
corporations.
 Building relationship: Service involves a basic level of efficiency in commercial
exchange. It allows or prevents a sale. But relationship means that brand representatives
really seek to understand and appreciates who their customers are. The emotional
component of a true relationship is not always targeted to our personal needs. In the
world of competition, a company has to go in for a relationship with people rather than
only service by greeting customers, exchanging a few extra words with them and offering
the things exactly to their taste, the customers will be eager to come back.
 Innovation is critical:For established products to attract and retain consumer interests, it
is critical that innovation in branding, retailing, advertising and new product launches

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capture their imagination. The lines are drawn every day between new and excitement of
change. However, a product can be old and new at the same time, if it continues to have
emotional relevance for consumers. For example- Cadbury’s brand.
 Emotional Branding Ensures Brand Loyalty: When a firm thinks of marketing, it sees
from customer’ point of view. But their own employees also play a vital role which is
popularly known as internal marketing. It is the best way to help employees make a
powerful emotional connection to the products and services the firm sells. Secondly when
people care about and believe in brand, they are more motivated to work harder and their
loyalty. Moreover when employees lives that vision, customers are much more likely to
experience the company in a way that is consistent with what it has promised.
CONCLUSION:
It is not a matter of importance how qualitative the product and its use are rather it is of utmost
importance that what is the extent of emotions create a drive in the consumers to purchase it. The
passion to possess the brand is actually the success of branding. The tri component of attitude
model serves as guide to make consumer feel that they are the one who are unique as well as can
make them proud to have it. The business and its future lies in enterprises ability to capture the
emotions of the consumers by making emotional branding strategies. Therefore it can be derived
that while making strategies for the brands, the companies should keep in mind the emotional
aspects so that it hits the mind of consumers and the impact of the emotion can be effectively
capitalized.
REFERENCES:
1. Antonio Damosio, Dcartes error: Emotion, reason and the human Brain
2. Kapferer Jean,” Brand Management Strategy.
3. Pandey, Akhilesh Chandra,(2006) “Strategic imperative in emotional branding” Gumbad
Business Review, Vol.2(1),pp 110-114
4. Schmitt B.(2003),Consumer Experience Management, The free Press
5. Schmitt B and Simonoson A.(1997) Marketing Aesthetics: the strategic Management of
Brands, Identify and image . Free Press, Newyork.
6. Hawkins, Del I., Roger J. Best, and Kenneth A. Coney (1998), Consumer Behaviour:
Building Marketing Strategy, 7th ed., Boston:McGraw Hill.

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7. http://www.detoursinmymind.com
8. http://www.consumerpsychologist.com

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