Over the years, studies have proven that humans are emotional beings. In fact, 90% of all our decisions are based on emotions.
What does that mean for marketers? It means that one of the best ways to get more customers is to appeal to their emotions.
Emotional marketing is so important, but most successful marketers swear by it. It uses consumers’ emotions by connecting deeply with them. Human life is mostly based on emotions, and out of 24 hours daily, 21 hours result from emotions, even when we sleep.
If you are still wondering if emotional marketing is worth your marketing stress, you should check these emotional marketing statistics.
Emotional Marketing Statistics Summary
With a firm understanding of these statistics, marketers are put in the right direction regarding business development.
A quick rundown of these statistics are:
- The success rate of emotional marketing campaigns stands at 31%
- Ads portraying above-average emotional responses have a 23% potential sales increase
- Younger consumers have a 58% emotional attachment to brands than older consumers
- Content that generates anger has a 38% chance of going viral.
- 85% of Consumers are not yet satisfied with their brand’s emotional marketing efforts
- Negative headlines have 30% higher click-through rates than positive ones
- Recommendations and trust 71% of the time rest on emotional connection
- Emotionally connected clients have a 52% value above the satisfied consumers
- Ads with strong elements of emotion have a higher share rate
- 70% of marketers desire customer loyalty through emotional connections
- 70% of viewers seeing an ad that moved them emotionally are highly likely to buy the product, while 30% of those who have an average emotional response said they are likely to buy
- Videos causing strong emotion have a 2x share rate than those with a weak emotional response.
- 82% of highly emotional brand-engaged consumers buy from their brand based on loyalty.
- Emotional connection can be affected by region (Italy 65%, Brazil 57%, UK 44%, Sweden 33%)
- The largest emotional customer connection is in the financial industry, with a massive 51%
- 86% of consumers expect brand reciprocation of loyalty.
- 76% of emotionally connected individuals desire multiple interaction channels, including online platforms.
- 68% of credit card swipes are from emotionally satisfied customers.
- 81% of emotionally connected customers give back to their brand
Emotional Marketing Statistics in 2024
1. Ads portraying above-average emotional responses have a 23% potential sales increase
(Source: Nielsen)
Marketers and advertisers are coming to terms with the emotional side of their audiences.
Studies compiled over time show that success rates of marketing campaigns are strongly linked with adverts that hit home, those that bring and reach out to your emotions and feelings. The ones you cannot watch without a “whoa,” “that’s me,” some Goosebumps, or a sing-along jingle.
Ads with stories, feelings, and expressions have high response rates because the audience can relate well. It’s not how detailed the ad is that keeps you drawn in. It’s how much you love it and how much it relates to you as a person that is a brand persona.
There are certain things you may find irresistible and appealing in ads. Examples are
- Sound
- Color/effect
- Storyline
2. Younger consumers have a 58% emotional attachment to brands than older consumers
(Source: CapGemini)
Emotions are naturally heightened for young adults, and it weans as they grow older.
As a marketer, it’s easier to get the younger consumers on your side than the older consumers. You have to address this in your campaign strategy.
Based on multiple experiences, the best thing to do is to make a balance between both worlds. Make the advert and marketing efforts relatable to both old and young if possible.
3. The success rate of emotional marketing campaigns stands at 31%
(Source: Neuroscience Marketing)
You get twice the results of an average ad if you can connect with your audience on a personal level. Success for an emotional campaign is 31%, while the normal/rational marketing effort is a mere 16%.
You may say a good combination of both sounds intellectual and promising, but studies on ad success show a 26% success rate for a rational and emotional ad. In contrast, the purely emotional takes the whole win. In other words, do more with less.
4. Never underestimate the power of the subconscious (95 out of 100)
(Source: Inc)
95% of every buying decision has an undertone of emotions and is not premeditated. Many people buy for subconscious reasons, like the smile of a brand model on a billboard ad they pass by every day while going to work or the sense of comfort or attachment to a brand’s product or service.
Remember that your potential buyer is going to make that purchase based on their emotions, even if they are aware of this fact or not.
As a business owner, how do you make use of this knowledge? All you need do is pay attention to ways you can reach the emotional core of your customer and dig deeply.
5. 85% of Consumers are not yet satisfied with their brand’s emotional marketing efforts
(Source: Netimperative)
Even though emotional marketing is very effective, only 15% of consumers can agree that a certain brand has gotten it right.
Indeed, many know what to do but not how to do it. This huge margin indicates that as a business owner or marketer, you can swiftly take over the market and put your competition under massive pressure.
Don’t be in a hurry to send out the next marketing campaign. Imagine spending so much time, money, and creativity but forgetting emotions. You will only join the long line of brands sending out strategies that are termed as boring or a literal waste of time. All you have to do is:
- Put yourself in the shoes of your audience
- Ask yourself what they have now, which is your competition
- Identify the weakness of the competition
- Find out what emotion best describes your product and, at the same time, the customer.
- Ask how you want your customer to feel after seeing your ad and how memorable it can be
6. Negative headlines have 30% higher click-through rates than positive ones
(Source: Outbrain)
Outbrain, in a recent study, shows that headlines with (“worst” or “never”) are more likely to draw attention and lead to a 30% click rate than the positive ones carrying (“best” or ”always”).
A media personnel will tell you that bad news sells faster in our world today, and it’s just the element of curiosity it brings along with it. This is not an encouragement to plaster your ads with negative superlatives. Make use of a healthy dose.
It’s common knowledge that the attention span of the general audience in 2022 is shorter compared to a couple of years down the line. It has led many to embrace brevity. But to be viewed, you need to capture your customer’s attention which is why you should strongly look towards embracing negative superlatives for your headlines.
7. Customer recommendations and trust depends on emotional connection, at least 71% of the time
(Source: Statista)
It’s quite normal as humans to recommend whatever we trust or find a strong emotional attachment to. Referral is a strong point of any business.
45% of consumers can recommend a product they are not emotionally attached to, but on the other hand, 71% prefer to refer to businesses they are really connected to emotionally.
Trust in business equates to long-term patronage. When you connect emotionally with your consumers, it creates a feeling of trust which means they can stay loyal for years on end. In figures, trust means 306% lifetime value.
8. Emotionally connected clients have a 52% value above the satisfied consumer
(Source: PRWeb)
The empathy stats don’t lie. Many brands are so focused on “satisfying” customers that they forget to build an emotional connection with these customers. When it comes to marketing, it’s not about the game of best products but the power of emotional connection.
There are many reasons why higher value is derived from emotionally connected clients.
- They do not feel the need to look elsewhere, which is loyalty
- They naturally stick around longer
- They are not overly critical or rash
- They bring others who are referral
- They are easy to be pleased
9. Ads with strong elements of emotion have a higher share rate
(Source: CapGemini)
Most people love to view more than read or listen alone, which is why a good visual ad can be all you need to create a strong visibility for your brand. Visual ads generate more emotions than text-only ads.
You would like to share a video that touches nerves, one that explains an outrageous event you had with your friend, or a video that can lighten anyone’s day. There’s an advert for a power shot that uses a cute baby, and the breathtaking smile automatically makes you smile.
Such ads are twice more shareable. It’s because there’s something you can talk about afterward.
10. 70% of marketers desire customer loyalty through emotional connection
(Source: CapGemini)
While 61% of marketers are after other purposes like customer satisfaction, interaction, etc., 70% of marketers in 2022 seek to build solid brand loyalty and referral by connecting with their emotions and not merely dolling out scripts or intellectual materials.
It’s a high percentage, but from the point above on consumers’ view on the success of emotional marketing strategies, there’s a clear discrepancy. There is a need to take emotional marketing seriously to capture the audience and leave them captivated for a long time.
11. 70% of viewers seeing an ad that moved them emotionally are highly likely to buy the product, while 30% of those who have an average emotional response said they are likely to buy
(Source: Unruly)
Gauging emotions can be done successfully by using emotional analytics or specialized software to track the progress of an emotional marketing strategy.
With these tools, you can measure the mood, attitude, and emotional personality of the consumer before and after exposure to an ad.
Using this technique, it’s been found that an increasing rate of viewers, when they see an ad that they connect to on an emotional level, tend to buy more than the one that doesn’t connect with them as much. Only 30% of viewers concurred with buying products of average emotional connection.
In recent years, consumers have grown and groomed their emotional intelligence, and it’s up to brands to meet up if they would win and keep their sales metrics blooming.
12. Content that generates anger has a 38% chance of going viral
(Source: Moz)
Anger is not an emotion anyone will celebrate or applaud, but in marketing, there is a twist. Content that provokes anger, especially in response to a pressing, critical or controversial issue, is likely to spread like wildfire in the media.
Generally, the main idea is to get the responses, suggestions, and opinions of the viewer.
This strategy should be treated carefully. You are to help the viewers channel their anger toward the subject and not ruin their moods by being disrespectful or passing out gory information.
Studies show that on the opposite end if your business sells out the feeling of sadness, it’s on its way to the spam collection with -17% shares and reactions. In sales, that’s a deficit.
13. Videos causing strong emotion have a 2x share rate than those with a weak emotional response
(Source: Unruly)
Videos made by businesses today will only go viral faster depending on the emotions it triggers. In plain terms, strong emotions mean the feelings it triggers are highly energetic, like happiness, fear, anger, and desire.
On the opposite end, a weak emotional response is the feeling of sadness.
Your customers will definitely not appreciate content that makes them feel blue or lonely. Vibrancy and energy perceived from your content trigger the feeling to share and recommend your product to others.
14. 82% of highly emotional brand-engaged consumers buy from their brand based on loyalty
(Source: Netimperative)
Brand loyalty is the top of the purchasing factors for the 2022 consumer. And brand loyalty is a direct response of the consumer to their emotional attachment to your business.
82% of purchasing decisions will be channeled to your business as your team of marketers and advertisers have developed a high emotional connection with new and old clients.
38% of people with lower emotional attachment, on the other hand, will patronize brands they share a low emotional engagement with.
Loyalty in business is a golden key to unlocking many doors because if you successfully create these feelings, you get to attract and keep an increasing inflow of customers with a tremendous sales conversion rate.
15. Emotional connection can be affected by region (Italy 65%, Brazil 57%, UK 44%, Sweden 33%)
(Source: Inc)
Besides genetic wiring, our environment also has much to do with our response and disposition to what we come in contact with.
Italy ranked highest among the countries with the highest emotional attachment to brands. It can be traced back to the passion and natural expressiveness of the Italians.
Italians are big on expressing love through their meals, wine, tours, and more which is no surprise that in world records, they have the highest brand emotional ranking of 65%, followed by Brazil with 57%, the Uk with 44%, and Sweden with 33%.
A key trick to see that customers go through the sales funnel is to watch out for the natural emotional disposition of your target region. Avoid using components that would upset your viewers and buyers.
16. The largest emotional customer connection is in the financial services industry, with a massive 51%
(Source: CapGemini)
The financial industry understands the need to work with trust and instincts, which explains the high emotional link between clients and businesses.
To invest or do business with you, your clients need to sense commitment, trust, and loyalty. Customers need to be aided, advised, and carried along this way. It’s common to see many families loyal to a financial company for years.
The retail industry follows closely after with 46%.
17. 86% of consumers expect brand reciprocation of loyalty
(Source: CapGemini)
Loyalty doesn’t come cheaply. It takes time and investment. After gaining the loyalty of your consumers, the next step is to reciprocate this feeling. They want to feel seen, loved, and appreciated as a reward for their loyalty and patronage.
80% of these figures want their brand to know what they prefer due to their strong involvement with them.
18. 76% of emotionally connected individuals desire multiple interaction channels, including online platform
(Source: CapGemini)
Communicating with your clients has been proven to be a fast and secure way to keep them coming back to you. No emotion can be passed and maintained without communicating, and in 2022, it’s all about interactivity and communication with the public.
With the emergence and development of technology, customers expect to be in touch with their chosen brand through official websites, social media, and every platform that guarantees swift and prompt service.
This way, messages can be fine-tuned and customized to suit customers’ preferences. They finish off feeling appreciated.
19. 68% of credit card swipes are from emotionally satisfied customers
(Source: HBR)
Emotionally connected and satisfied customers bring value to businesses both short term and in the long run.
20. 81% of emotionally connected customers give back to their brand
(Source: CapGemini)
When a product is referred by a friend or loved one, it almost immediately gains your trust and, finally, patronage.
81% of emotionally connected customers find it easy and worthwhile to recommend and promote the brand they are loyal to and also send the word out through social media if they do not have the avenue to do so in person.
Imagine having 68% referrals on social media without personally reaching out to these new prospects. Customers who are rationally attached to their brands only rake in 7% social media referrals and 50% promotion to loved ones.
21. 47% of surveyed respondents in the U.K say TV is the media platform they found emotional ads
(Source: Statista)
FAQs on Emotional Marketing Statistics
How effective is emotional marketing?
Emotional marketing has been shown to be incredibly effective in helping brands connect with their customers on a deeper level. Studies have found that it can increase brand loyalty, engagement, and purchase intent. Additionally, emotional marketing can be used to build relationships with customers by providing them with meaningful experiences that resonate with them emotionally.
What percentage of sales are based on emotion?
Studies have found that 95% of purchasing decisions are emotional, and only 5% are based on logic. This means that appealing to customers’ feelings and being emphatic is a key factor in closing the sale.
How do you measure emotional marketing?
One approach to measuring emotional marketing is through running surveys, polls, or questionnaires. Surveys give marketers valuable insight into people’s feelings and responses to particular offers and themes in content. Through these surveys, you are able to gain quantitative feedback on how an ad campaign was received by its intended audience.
What emotion is most effective in advertising?
Different emotions can evoke different kinds of responses from viewers and create meaningful connections between them and the product or service. Of all the emotions that can be tapped into in advertising, happiness has proven time and time again to be among the most effective type of emotion.
Latest Emotional Marketing Strategies & Trends
I will always advise you never to use a marketing strategy simply because everyone is doing it. You have to clearly understand the latest trends before creating your marketing campaign.
Emotional marketing can be tricky if you do not know what is going on or how to implement it. Emotions can help or ruin your business which is why it should be strategic.
With these latest trends and strategies I gathered, you’ll be able to create a killer emotional marketing strategy that converts effectively.
1. Emotional Advertising
Emotional advertising showcases your product and service in a manner that touches the hearts of your viewers.
These adverts not only appeal to emotions but they raise awareness, create room for trust, and can be motivational. Every marketing campaign strategy starts with your consumer or audience at the top of your decisions.
Who do you want to reach out to, and how to go about it?
Your business should be seen as one that spreads love and positivity. For example, Khloe Kardashian launched The Good American clothing line and encouraged body positivity by showing women of different sizes and skin colors rocking its jeans. It gives them the courage to love all body types and trust the brand to do the same.
2. Storytelling
Storytelling sells! I’m sure you have heard this phrase many times. This is because it is very true. Consumers are done with marketing campaigns that just read out product or service briefs that give out figures like robots.
Lately, smart marketers are using video platforms to tell stories. It only makes sense that this would work because people are more drawn toward video content. Imagine fusing interesting stories into your Tiktok ads, Instagram reels, or YouTube shorts.
I’m sure that, like me, you’ll watch that ad more than twice.
Storytelling gives expression to your products, making them come alive to your audience.
In this day and age, drama and storytelling are the favorites. If you want people to remember your brand, choose a great storyline that attaches itself to their memory. Let your business express itself immediately.
While storytelling plays on emotions, it also teaches valuable lessons.
Also, adverts that tell stories should have an ever-young effect whereby they can be remembered and relevant years later.
For example, Gatorade’s ‘The boy who learned how to fly’ used Usain Bolt for the advert alongside the storyline. This athlete is a viral sensation, one that resonates with the majority.
When consumers are emotionally attached to an ad, they move down the sales funnel. These consumers are most likely to become paying customers.
3. Emotional Branding
Emotional branding seeks to connect with its customers by causing an emotional effect within them.
Another emotional marketing examples – is Google’s Search stories campaign. In this campaign, Google services are shown in everyday life of individuals as helpful and, in some cases, the last hope. In this advert, Google maps are used to save a family.
This gives a soft emotion because Google positions itself always to be there whenever we need help.
Ultimately, these emotional marketing trends result in a feeling of hope, love, comfort, and confidence leading to brand loyalty.
A Quick Glance at Emotional Marketing
Marketing thrives on making sure a voice is heard, a story is told, an identity is seen, and all enveloped under the grand scheme of things ‘SALES’.
Relating emotions with business generally is a no-no, but in marketing, this trend has raked in massive benefits for companies doing it properly.
Emotional marketing uses the very essence we all have and are familiar with, which is emotions, to draw the attention of its audience and address a certain feeling, stereotype, or pain point. In other words, this type of marketing is big on being relatable. Emotion sells.
Importance of Emotional Marketing
In 2023, the world will experience a lot of distress, and consumers are still recovering from this negativity.
Experiences like the covid-19, climate change alerts, floods, and many more have highlighted huge gaps in some products and services. Many other brands showed strength by dealing with it through emotional marketing strategies.
Videos, short motivational clips, and more were the comfort many looked up to.
It’s becoming ever apparent that the future of customer loyalty safely rests on emotional marketing. So why is emotional marketing this powerful and vital?
1. It Allows for Great First Impression
It’s been proven that the first moments of exposure to a person or thing will go a long way to determining your disposition toward it. This disposition is hardly erased, so creating the first impression of your business matters a lot.
To every business creating an excellent first impression should be the foundation of what your business can do differently. Once the audience is locked on your business, they will not want to leave.
2. Emotional Marketing Supports Deep Connections
As we already established based on statistics, emotional marketing content does better than other forms of advertising.
Pepsi, for instance, has portrayed its product as one that encourages family meal times, friends’ hangouts, and energetic activities like dancing, football, etc.
These ads don’t come to influence the consumer’s decision by listing the production process, calories, or boring figures. The target is emotions.
3. It Inspires Action
Whatever emotion you portray, there’s an effect on action or buying decision. From the statistics, we saw that people act on their emotions a lot. When you reach people deep where it touches them, they take the action you want.
Final Thoughts on Emotional Marketing Statistics
The power of emotional marketing can’t be emphasized enough. Emotional marketing is the catch. If you are a marketer and not yet using emotions as your greatest weapon, you are making a massive mistake.
In 2023, expect more marketers to increase their emotional marketing strategies. Expect more ads to be centered on people’s emotions.
However, emotional marketing is not easy. It requires a lot of brain power. This means you have to be very observant and keen on every detail.
I gathered these emotional marketing statistics to show you that human emotions are a very powerful tool in marketing.