One brand strategy that's employed by agencies that world over is that which taps into emotions. While it's not appropriate for all business types, there are some interesting lessons renovation specialists can take from such an approach.

What's an emotional strategy all about?

While some consumer decisions are made by rationally assessing a situation, it's also possible for an emotional trigger to influence a consumer's choice.

From selecting deodorant at the supermarket to buying a new mobile phone, there is a range of criteria that consumers – often subconsciously – run through in their head.

When feelings are drawn into the mix, choices can become clouded. Instead of simply assessing a product based on price or brand familiarity, consumers get emotionally involved in a purchase decision.

Whether it's fear, love, trust or a deep-rooted desire to be a trend-setter, emotions often factor into consumers' decisions.

An emotional brand strategy plays right up to these feelings. Of course, it's necessary for a business to first determine what emotion they can target – there's no point taking a broad brushstroke approach and hoping a strategy magically fits.

In order to formulate a brand strategy that's based around an emotional appeal, you'll need to consider your core product or service offering and consider what kind of feelings are evoked in relation to it.

You want potential clients to feel they need your services. This can be achieved by stimulating an emotional response.

What kind of emotional strategy will work for my business?

While undertaking home renovations might seem like a largely rational decision, it's possible to formulate an emotional strategy to appeal to existing and potential clients.

For instance, if you're in the business of completing luxurious bathroom fit-outs, you might tap into high-end clients' desires for enjoying luxury at home.

Your marketing communications will need to highlight how the final result of a home renovation project will improve clients' day-to-day lives by increasing their ability to relax in their own home.

Though the timeliness of your service or price point can be relevant factors for clients in some instances, an emotional strategy doesn't focus on these factors. Instead, it's focussed on appealing to clients' feelings, so you need to understand what the appropriate emotions are.

Perhaps you've got a building business that's particularly experienced at completing quality kitchen fit-outs, from installing quality countertops to customising the space's layout and sourcing the best kitchen appliances.

In this case, you may be in a sound position to appeal to customers who consider themselves trend-setters and want the best of the best.

For such clients, price may be a less pressing factor when it comes to making a purchase decision. Likewise, other rational decision-making factors such as what the most practical solution is or what competitors' services are, may be brushed aside if your brand's emotional appeal stands out enough.

In order to stand out, it's important that your brand strategy is on-point. An emotional strategy based on fear might increase sales of antibacterial cleaning products to young parents, but it might not be nearly as effective for a small building company that specialises in extending bedrooms or adding a deck.

After all, it's the positive emotions that homeowners' feel when enjoying their newly refurbished property that you want to tap into. Not only does playing to these emotions help clients connect with your brand, but it can also help boost loyalty, too.

April 17, 2014

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