As modern marketing becomes more competitive, brands are using every strategy to stand out in the crowd. One element attracting increasing attention in marketing and brand positioning is emotional intelligence. Popularly termed EQ (emotional quotient), it denotes the ability to comprehend, use and manage one’s emotions – as well as that of others – in a positive way that relieves stress, aids in communicating effectively and empathises with others while overcoming challenges.
EQ helps in fostering robust relationships while succeeding both at home and work, thereby achieving personal and professional goals. EQ also helps brands understand the feelings of their target audience, turning intention into action and making well-informed decisions that benefit buyers and the brand.
Through emotional intelligence, brands can better understand the personas and aspirations of target audiences. This lets them communicate their brand’s value and offerings more authentically, building greater trust between brands and consumers.
However, EQ is not merely about striking an emotional chord with customers or resolving pain points. Rather, it entails going much deeper to earn the trust and confidence of users at a subliminal level.
Understanding the Diverse Aspects of Emotional Intelligence
The concept of EQ was first popularised by psychologist and behavioural science journalist Dr Daniel Goleman in his 1995 book, ‘Emotional Intelligence’. Dr Goleman described EQ as an individual’s ability to manage his/her feelings so these are expressed effectively and appropriately. He identified five aspects – self-awareness, motivation, empathy, self-regulation and social skills – as the key elements contributing to EQ.
In context, Apple’s ‘Think Different’ commercial in 1997 represents one of the best use cases of EQ in marketing. Given the growing use of artificial intelligence and AI-enabled tools in brand marketing, it is time for brands to think differently too. There is no doubt that tech advances have transformed the world of marketing, making workflows more scalable, efficient and effective.
Paradoxically, as novel technologies revolutionise brands’ ability to customise marketing messages to niche audiences, it also raises the need for a stronger emotional connection. Let’s not forget that though chatbots can address almost all standard queries and concerns of users, this may fail to fully satisfy customers who remain aware they are interacting with a virtual assistant.
In other words, as hyper-personalisation soars in business, a greater need arises to engage with people more directly at an emotional level. Unfortunately, most enterprises retain focus on the price, features and other transactional aspects of products, overlooking the fact that 95% of consumers base buying decisions on emotions, not logic. Harvard professor Gerald Zaltman noted that 95% of purchase decisions occur in the subconscious mind, indicating emotions generally propel purchase behaviour.
Researchers in one study used EEG (electroencephalogram) headsets to check emotional cues in the brains of people who were told to watch certain television ads. The results showed a rise in sales for ads that exerted a positive emotional influence. Such findings showcase the importance of linking the rational and emotional minds of consumers to increase customer conversions, enhance experiences and engagement levels and boost brand loyalty. To understand how this is done, some elaboration is required.
The Five Elements of EQ
Self-awareness constitutes the first element in leveraging EQ for brand positioning. This aspect is a blend of how brands wish to be perceived and how consumers view them. The best means to plug this gap is by speaking to consumers and inquiring what they like about the brand and what could be improved. Consumer satisfaction surveys are one way to elicit such feedback. For example, to pinpoint negative perceptions, brands could create an online exit survey. This will ensure the feedback is automated and instantaneous, allowing brands to improve customer engagement more quickly.
Next comes motivation. Here brands can highlight what motivates their campaign. A goal or objective is essential for any successful brand campaign. The objective establishes the motive. This could include the generation of more leads, reducing customer churn, expanding the email list, etc. Whatever the motivation, the prime purpose of marketing campaigns is to achieve this objective.
The third element is empathising with the audience. Empathy is one of the key elements of EQ. By showing empathy, brands indicate they care about their customers and are willing to understand and address any concerns. Accordingly, effective brand campaigns should resolve consumer pain points or fulfil their needs.
One way to augment empathy is via an empathy mapping exercise. Three channels – social media, email marketing and customer support – are useful in engaging with people and surveying target audiences. This can help in knowing consumer likes and dislikes, behaviour patterns, etc. When people feel they are respected and acknowledged, they respond positively, generating deep trust. Empathy can then help in establishing stronger, more authentic, long-lasting relationships with customers.
Then there is self-regulation. Once brands attain a high degree of understanding about themselves and their audience, it’s time to step back and review goals, messaging and strategies. While some strategies would have worked well, others may not. Therefore, self-regulation of plans is necessary to ensure brands stay on the EQ track to continue evoking positive feelings in users and strengthening their connections with them.
Finally, it comes down to social skills or communicating with users. Here is where companies must understand their brand personality and communicate this at the human or personal level. Typically, companies could end up communicating in a faceless, emotionless manner that fails to connect with the audience. Instead of cold corporate speak, companies should connect in a more humane manner that strikes a chord at a profound level, building a deeper rapport with audiences.
In a nutshell, in the age of AI, it is critical to create a direct, deeper connection with people that generates greater trust and confidence. Emotional intelligence could help brands tick all the right boxes, driving higher customer conversions, better sales and more retention. That is why EQ matters all the more in modern brand marketing.
Anirban Banerjee is the Senior Vice President & SBU Head (batteries and flashlights), Eveready Industries India Ltd. Views expressed are personal.