4 Tips to Create Emotional Connections with Customers

http://www.brandchamps.com/blog/?p=55

Brands that win in today's marketplace are those that emotionally bond with people - current and potential customers. As brands continue to fight for the same dollars, an emotional connection is what makes the essential difference. The emotional element is what gives a brand both the foundation and fuel for future business strategies ... people-driven strategies.

1. Develop a partnership:

   Powerful emotional branding comes from partnership and dialogue with people. It's important to change internal brand dialogue - talk about "people" instead of "consumers." Consumers buy; people live. Develop a partnership approach based on a relationship of mutual respect. After all, people are your best source of information.

2. Get, and stay, interested:

   To emotionally bond with people, it matters how you make people feel about themselves and their decisions in your brand presence. When a brand shouts about itself, people tune out the frequency. Why? Because people aren't interested in the brand. They want the brand to be interested in them and to show them how their relationship with you will make them feel better about themselves. Being truly interested in your audience will make your brand stand out.

3. Your brand's real competitive advantage:

   Your competitive advantage is based upon how you make people feel. In the realities of today's economy, people are overloaded with options and conflicting information regarding just about everything. Additionally, much of the information looks the same. It's difficult for people to identify the "best" choice.

4. Feelings rule:

   Since people know that they can't rationally cope with all of this choice in their lives, they're making purchase decisions based upon how they feel. People typically make a mental short list based on what they've read or heard. Then, they're motivated by how brands make them feel.