Communication

Emotional segmentation based brand communication involves that marketing information is

conveyed with emotional value to strategically segmented groups, ensuring alignment
between what the target audience wants to hear and what the company tells them. The aim
is to let consumers experience particular emotions after receiving the information, so
that consumers and brands have psychological resonance, thus achieving the
purpose of marketing communication which is to foster affinity, loyalty and long term
engagement.

IMC or integrated marketing communication is the unified communication strategy to be used

for the campaign ensuring alignment of the the communication subject’s across all it’s channels
and personalise them to each emotion based segment’s preferences and psychographics A
central brand narrative must ensure the embodiment of core emotional values of the
brands. The aim is to position the brand to be just beyond the product and instead,
be considered as facilitators of emotional moments by crafting emotional
experiences, emotional associations, fostering connection, eliciting sensory pleasure
etc

Advertisement:

The use of captivating storytelling, inspirational brand ideas, memoerable brand

imagery will enable the delivery of long lasting impactful advertisements. For
example, Coca-Cola's iconic "Share a Coke" campaign featured TV commercials
depicting moments of joy, togetherness, and connection over a Coca-Cola beverage.

With a specific case of the beverage industry, the following are potential advertising themes
based on specific emotional segments

Emotional Segment Theme for Advertisement

Nostalgia - "Rediscover the Classics"
- "Journey Back in Time"
- "Timeless Flavors, Timeless Memories"
Excitement - "Unleash Your Sense of Adventure"
- "Experience the Thrill"
- "Ignite Your Passion"
Happiness - "Savor Moments of Joy"
- "Happiness in Every Sip"
- "Spread Smiles with Every Bottle"
Togetherness - "Share the Love, Share the Drink"
- "Bonding Over Bubbles"
- "Creating Memories Together"
Refreshment - "Revitalize Your Day"
- "Cool Down and Refresh"
 - "Elevate Your Mood with Every Sip"
Adventure - "Fuel Your Next Adventure"
- "Discover New Horizons"
- "Embark on a Flavor Expedition"

SEO / SEM strategy

This involves the identification of keywords and phrases that reflect the emotional
intent of your target audience. For example, if you're targeting an audience seeking
motivation, keywords like "inspiring quotes," "overcoming challenges," or "success
stories" may be relevant. It is necessary to incorporate emotional keywords in meta
tags, meta description, headings etc to improve positioning across SERPs and lead
to higher click through rates (CTR).

Perhaps, under SEO, we also consider how the brand develops written content to be
circulated across their website, social media, email, blog posts etc. Using emotional
segmentation, the brand ensures fulfilment of specified needs, desires, pain points of
each emotional segment.

The SEO strategy will require websites to provide customers with a seamless and
emotionally engaging experience via visually appealing design and a smooth
navigator experience. The brand must consider placing backlinks from their website
that resonate with the customer’s emotional themes.

Pepsi's "Pepsi Generations" campaign effectively utilized digital channels to connect

with various age groups by tapping into nostalgia and pop culture references.

Public relations & Publicity

The brand can utilise strategies such as storytelling, long term emotional loyalty
programs, surprise and delight initiatives, empathy driven crisis management,
localised emotional ad themes, partnership with emotional influencers etc to cater to
a feeling and emotion based brand campaign.

The brand can use the following campaign elements for the same:

1. Interactive emotional content:

The use of customised packaging, in-app games, lottery based systems, etc can
create emotionally driven campaigns

2. User-generated content creation:

The use of co-creation or collaboration with customers can give them a sense of
ownership and authority with the brand and cater to their emotional connect with the
brand. Example: Starbucks' "White Cup Contest," inviting customers to decorate their
coffee cups and share their designs on social media, fostering creativity and
emotional connection with the brand. Similary, Cadbury’s madburu campaign also
facilitated the co-creation based concept.

3. Influencer partnerships:

Influencer partnerships with celebrities to promote challenge existing norms and

promote ideas like inclusivity, empowerment and social change can help create
bonding with the brand. A brand could also invest in partnering with a high profile
celeb to move up the maslow’s hierarchy and convert simplistic products at the
basic needs level to the social, self esteem, or self actualisation needs,

4. Emotional visual branding:

The use of visually compelling imagery, colors, and design elements that evoke the
desired emotions and reinforce your campaign message. Create emotionally
resonant visual assets such as branded graphics, infographics, or videos that
communicate your campaign theme and captivate your audience. Example: Apple's
"Shot on iPhone" campaign, showcasing user-generated photos and videos captured
on iPhones, evoking emotions of beauty, creativity, and inspiration through stunning
visuals.

5. Community engagement:

The creation of product based communities is a great way to provide a sense of

collective belonging to customers, helping them bond with the brand.

Distribution

Emotions influence the customer’s perception of brands and their values, making it essential
for companies to choose distribution partners whose values are in sync with the emotional
appeal to the brand. The channel should promote a desirable lifestyle that the consumer
wishes to capture. Besides, the channel choice affects the overall customer experience
where customers would desire channels that evoke positive emotions and provide a
seamless buying experience. This experience is heavily influences by the atmosphere and
ambiance a brand is able to provide. Retailer based environments evoke specific emotions
such as excitement, relaxation, and nostalgia, which can trigger purchase decisions.

Emotions, not only influence channel choice but also the level of customer engagement and
interaction within distribution channels. Channels that foster emotional connects with
customers are more likely to drive repeat purchases and brand loyalty. For instance, a soft
drink brand may partner with retailers to create interactive in-store displays or sampling
events that evoke feelings of fun and enjoyment, encouraging consumers to engage with the
product and develop positive associations. Besides, a company’s expansion to e commerce
platforms and social media channels for selling also provide opportunities for brands to
evoke specific emotions through targeted messaging and visual content.
Emotions influence word-of-mouth recommendations and referrals, which can drive traffic to
specific distribution channels. Consumers are more likely to recommend brands and
products that evoke strong positive emotions. Therefore, distribution channels that
consistently deliver positive emotional experiences are likely to benefit from increased word-
of-mouth marketing and customer referrals.

A channel that is convenient for customers and trigger positive emotions is likely to push
customers towards paying premiums due to a higher perception towards the willingness to
pay. This also helps build trust and reliability between the customer and distribution channels
by channelising a desirable emotional content between them. Consumers are more likely to
purchase from channels they trust and feel emotionally connected to. Distribution partners
that consistently deliver positive experiences, such as reliable order fulfillment, excellent
customer service, and hassle-free returns, can foster trust and loyalty. For instance, a soft
drink brand targeting families may prioritize distribution through trusted grocery chains
known for their reliability and customer satisfaction. The interlinkage between emotions and
distribution channels is prominently seen in the rise of personalised and customised
experiences that customers demand from distribution channels. Brands that offer
personalized shopping experiences tailored to individual preferences can evoke positive
emotions and strengthen consumer loyalty. Distribution channels that leverage data
analytics and technology to customize product recommendations, promotions, and shopping
experiences can create emotional connections with consumers. For instance, a soft drink
brand may partner with online retailers to offer personalized product bundles based on
consumers' flavor preferences, dietary restrictions, or purchasing history.

Emotions are influenced by cultural and social factors, which can shape consumer
preferences for distribution channels. Brands must consider cultural norms, values, and
social trends when selecting distribution channels to ensure alignment with consumers'
emotional needs and aspirations. For example, a soft drink brand seeking to resonate with
environmentally conscious consumers may opt for distribution through eco-friendly retailers
or online platforms that prioritize sustainability and ethical sourcing practices. Emotions are
deeply intertwined with storytelling and narrative, which can influence consumer perceptions
and purchasing decisions. Distribution channels that effectively convey the brand's story,
values, and emotional appeal can captivate consumers' attention and drive engagement. For
example, a soft drink brand with a compelling narrative of innovation, heritage, or social
impact may collaborate with distribution partners to incorporate brand storytelling into
marketing campaigns, packaging design, and in-store displays, creating emotional
connections with consumers.

In summary, emotions have multifaceted effects on distribution channels, encompassing

factors such as perceived value, trust, cultural influences, personalization, storytelling, and
feedback management. Brands that understand and leverage emotional drivers can
strategically select distribution channels that resonate with consumers, foster brand loyalty,
and drive business success.

Pricing and incentives:

Pricing directly influences consumers' perception of a product or service's value. Emotional
segmentation considers how different consumer segments perceive value. For instance,
some consumers may be more price-sensitive and value-oriented, while others may
prioritize convenience or prestige. Incentives such as discounts, promotions, or added
bonuses can further influence perceived value and emotional responses. Pricing strategies
can evoke various emotional responses from consumers. For example, offering limited-time
discounts or flash sales can create a sense of urgency and excitement, appealing to
consumers' fear of missing out (FOMO) or desire for instant gratification. Emotional
segmentation involves understanding which emotional triggers resonate most with different
consumer segments and tailoring pricing and incentives accordingly. Incentives develop a
sense of reward and punishment to influence consumer behaviour. This is emphasised via
loyalty programmes that incentivise repeat purchases and foster emotional connections wiht
the brand. On the contrary, penalty based pricing like surge pricing and cancellation fees is
likely to evoke negative emotions of frustration and resentment. The key to emotional
segmentation is to configure which segments are most effective for different emotion based
customer segments

Pricing and incentives can influence consumers' perception of risk associated with a
purchase. Higher prices may signal quality and reduce perceived risk, especially for products
where quality is a significant concern, such as electronics or healthcare. On the other hand,
discounts and incentives can mitigate perceived risk by offering a lower barrier to entry or
providing added value. Emotional segmentation involves understanding how different
consumer segments perceive and respond to risk and tailoring pricing and incentives to
alleviate concerns and instil confidence. For many consumers, purchasing decisions are tied
to their sense of self-identity and expression. Pricing and incentives can impact how
consumers perceive themselves and how they want to be perceived by others. Luxury
brands often use premium pricing and exclusive incentives to appeal to consumers' desires
for self-expression and social status. In contrast, value-oriented brands may offer discounts
or rewards that align with consumers' practicality or frugality. Emotional segmentation
involves understanding the role of self-identity and expression in purchasing decisions and
aligning pricing and incentives with consumers' desired self-image.

8. **Emotional States and Context**: Consumer emotions can vary based on situational
factors, such as time, location, or personal circumstances. Pricing and incentives can be
tailored to capitalize on these emotional states and contexts. For example, offering discounts
or incentives during festive seasons or special occasions can tap into consumers' feelings of
joy and generosity. Similarly, providing discounts or rewards during stressful times, such as
exams or holidays, can alleviate anxiety and provide a sense of relief. Emotional
segmentation involves identifying relevant emotional states and contexts within different
consumer segments and designing pricing and incentives strategies to resonate with those
specific situations.

9. **Decision-Making Heuristics**: Consumers often rely on decision-making heuristics or

mental shortcuts when evaluating prices and incentives. Emotional segmentation involves
understanding these heuristics and tailoring pricing and incentives accordingly. For instance,
anchoring bias, where consumers anchor their perception of value to a reference point, can
be leveraged by highlighting the original price before a discount to make the discounted
price seem more attractive. Similarly, framing effects can influence how consumers perceive
incentives; framing a discount as a gain ("Save $20") may be more effective than framing it
as a loss ("Don't Miss Out on $20 Savings"). Emotional segmentation involves identifying
which decision-making heuristics are most relevant to different consumer segments and
leveraging them to optimize pricing and incentives strategies.

10. **Feedback and Adaptation**: Pricing and incentives strategies should be continuously
evaluated and adapted based on consumer feedback and market dynamics. Emotional
segmentation involves monitoring consumer responses and emotions related to pricing and
incentives and adjusting strategies accordingly. For example, if consumers perceive a
pricing strategy as deceptive or unfair, it can lead to negative emotions and backlash. By
gathering and analyzing feedback from different consumer segments, marketers can refine
pricing and incentives strategies to better align with consumers' emotional responses and
preferences over time.

In conclusion, pricing and incentives are intricately linked to emotional segmentation, as they
influence consumers' emotional responses, motivations, and behaviors. By understanding
the emotional drivers within different consumer segments and tailoring pricing and incentives
strategies accordingly, marketers can enhance engagement, loyalty, and profitability.
Moreover, ongoing evaluation and adaptation are crucial for ensuring that pricing and
incentives strategies remain effective and resonant with consumers' evolving emotional
needs and preferences.

3. **Brand Perception**: Pricing communicates messages about a brand's positioning and

identity, which can evoke emotional responses from consumers. Luxury brands, for instance,
often use premium pricing to convey exclusivity and status, appealing to consumers' desires
for prestige and sophistication. In contrast, value-oriented brands may use competitive
pricing and incentives to appeal to consumers' desire for savings and practicality. Emotional
segmentation involves understanding how different consumer segments perceive and
respond to these brand signals. By fostering long term relations, brands also build trust,
loyalty and emotional engagement leading to stronger emotional connections with the brand.