Emotions have, of recent times, been the marketing hot topic, with increasing and exciting evidence that emotionally engaging communication correlates with positive impact on sales.
This correlation is intuitively plausible and creatively liberating, which is why this notion is heavily embraced by marketing and agencies. Moreover, it has rapidly given rise to a whole range of new tools designed to help marketers measure the emotional impact of their communication through, for example, facial expression, biometrics or EEG. Take, for example, the much-lauded Budweiser Puppies ad which ran in the SuperBowl.
Rigorous scientific analysis provides a more precise understanding of emotions and of how exactly they relate to purchase decisions. In this three-part series we take a deeper look at the science of emotion, why emotional communication can help to sell and how emotions really relate to purchase decisions.
This level of precision is important because, if marketing is ultimately about shaping behaviour in favour of our brands, the winners will be those who best understand the true dynamics of behaviour and how to use this to brief for effective communications. In this initial part, we explore the science that helps to explain how and why emotionally engaging communication can engender positive effects.
Most of us think we have a pretty good idea of what emotions are β but what are they from a scientific perspective? First and foremost, emotions are a physiological response to something we experience or anticipate. Our brain continuously tries to make predictions about the world around us in order to survive. This helps prepare our bodies to cope with the upcoming situation by releasing neurotransmitters, adapting heart-beat, regulating blood pressure and muscle tension accordingly.
