Applied Science: Using Emotional Appeal to Build Brands

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August 9, 2011

By Laura Heller

Consumer don’t make brand choices based on logic, but on emotional responses. Understanding the science of emotions can help private label retailers and manufacturers better position their brands, both in store and in the minds of shoppers.

Dan Hill, president of Sensory Logic Inc., helps clients such as Kroger and Target do just that by reading the faces of consumers to gauge responses to advertising, packaging, store displays and even pricing to better position brands. During the Store Brands Decisions Innovation & Marketing Summit, Hill outlined numerous ways science can help store brands get noticed, grow market share and build loyalty with shoppers.

Hill’s field of study dates back to Charles Darwin. “He’s the first guy who took emotions seriously. He figured if they didn’t matter to us, they would’ve been weaned out through the course of evolution,” said Hill. “What is advantageous to the individual, I would argue, is advantageous to the corporation, as well.” Emotional responses are identical across cultures, throughout the ages and are the same for both the blind and sighted. “This is hard-wired into our brains. It’s not socialized, it’s not learned,” said Hill. “Knowing how your customers feel about a product can mean the difference between success and failure.”

Forget about pricing or listing benefits in a logical manner, said Hill. “Emotional appeal wins every time; 98 percent of mental activity is subconscious.” Hill uses eye tracking to identify what consumers are looking at, in which order and at what intensity level, while facial coding shows their emotions. While the science is complex and the ability to analyze human responses is held by only a few trained individuals, Hill outlined some basic rules to follow.

• People images. Faces are more important than words and consumers will respond to them more readily on packaging and in advertisements. “There’s a part of the brain devoted to reading other people’s faces and it is 80 times more sensitive than the power of the brain to read objects,” said Hill. “The most basic question in life is [determining] friend or foe.”
• Pick a face. A single face is more impactful than a group of faces; the eye doesn’t know where to settle in a crowd scene and the message gets lost.
• Graphic design matters. Put images on the left, words on the right because we “read” from left to right in most cultures and you want them to see images first and then words. Touch is important and the point is to simulate tactical impressions.
• Keep it simple. Select imagery that doesn’t raise questions in the shopper’s mind. For example, using natural imagery to designate organic or healthy foods can actually backfire. Instead of reassuring consumers their food is safe, it makes them question where the food is coming from, said Hill.
• Appeal to emotions. Focus less on price than the emotional appeal of the product.

“In instance after instance, price created problems including dissatisfaction with the product,” Hill said. “Seeing any price tag regardless of amount causes distress. A focus on price desensitizes people, lowering engagement and motivation.” Retailers and private label manufacturers can use this science to help set pricing.

“Being cheap invites contempt,” said Hill. “In the short term, low prices can induce a purchase, but if real value doesn’t get delivered there’s dissatisfaction and ultimately sadness results.” It’s an emotional progression that can be tracked via facial responses.

“Low cost brands seem desperate; people like companies with confidence,” he said. “It may sound sacrilegious, but we have found in numerous markets, including for Kroger… that a slightly higher price point actually reaffirms that you believe in a product, that it has quality, that you can stand behind it. And the nice thing is, you could take all that extra margin to the bank with you.” 

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