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PLEASE BE AWARE: This is an old article, and while we think there are still nuggets of good advice included here, it may be out of date. Things move very quickly in the world of Digital Marketing, Lead Generation and Conversion Rate Optimisation - so please see our latest news for the most recent advice on how to get more out of your website and online marketing.
Halloween has passed and all of a sudden Christmas is here. It is as though November no longer exists. The reality is that, because the festive market is so competitive, businesses have to really step up their online marketing efforts and, at this time of year, emotion is key. Whether your business is b2c or b2b, what can you learn from these techniques?
You’ve seen the adverts and if not you’ve probably heard about them. John Lewis’ Monty the Penguin received over a million views in it’s first day and was trending on social media for several days after. Then, Sainsbury’s hit an unsuspecting British public with a period dramatisation of the famous Christmas truce from the First World War. These adverts are designed to make you feel something and clearly it is working.
Eliciting an emotional response is a very powerful method of making people remember your product. Think of insurance advertisements: they generally play on your fear of something bad happening, so that you find it necessary to protect yourself – with their product. At Christmas, emotions are heightened in a different way. Suddenly, the most important themes are family and generosity.
John Lewis’ advert may appeal to children but it is aimed solely at those mushy parents, ergo, the ones with the spending power.
It’s that moment at the end of the ad when you realise that the child hasn’t been playing with an actual penguin all along, but their imagination is so vivid that a fluffy toy is shown as living. It is telling parents that they can make their children’s fantasies come true by buying them the right gift, but what if they don’t?
Sainsbury’s advert was made in association with the Royal British Legion; melting hearts with the message that generosity can overcome any obstacles, even fighting on opposing sides during an horrific war. It has, however, come under criticism for possibly profiteering upon the suffering of millions but controversy does get people talking, whether you want to attract that kind of attention or not.
Emotions also get people talking. People want to know if they’re the only one sat at work crying over their keyboard as Monty meets his new mate. So they ask, and where is best to ask all your friends at once? Social media.
The key aim of these advertisements is no longer television engagement but for the videos to go viral online. Notice that these ads are now longer than two minutes, compared to about one minute just a few years ago when television was the focus. This is because it is free to publish onYoutube, which offers much more freedom and crucially, the ability for content to be shared easily, leading to the viral effect.
Using emotion to persuade – or ‘pathos’ – is a method that has been around since the 4th Century BC, when Greek philosopher, Aristotle, proposed the Art of Rhetoric. It can be the perfect way of showing people the benefits of your product; whether that is giving them a feeling of safety or the joy of making your child happy on Christmas morning.
How should your business make people feel?
Firstly, you need to look at your service and figure out what it offers to your audience. Do you provide the safety of an insurance firm, the excitement of a travel agent or the relaxing effects of a particular brand of tea?
Next, you need to promote your product in a way that will elicit those feelings in your markets, before they have even made a purchase. You could use imagery, stirring music, imaginary penguin friends or anything that will make people associate your brand with positive emotions.
It is important that your marketing campaign, and any emotions it may arouse, properly reflect your business and your products, otherwise, people will just be confused. So, as with all good marketing campaigns, make sure your brand is at the centre of everything.
(N.B. The Guardian ran a poll to see which of the two adverts people prefer, at time of writing, Sainsbury’s were winning)
