How emotional and behavioural marketing can boost a brand

• Paul Barasa 

Every day, we experience changes in the business landscape with several factors coming into play. However, the customer is also changing. Baby boomers and millennials have different perceptions of their buying decisions and shopping habits. Basically, every generation has its own approach to life, work, and communication. The interactions between these generations have effects on brands and how they do business. Changes are taking place in their preferences as consumers - and this development is changing the way brands communicate their attributes - from the traditional selling to a more personalised approach. Suddenly, consumers expect an unprecedented level of emotional commitment and honesty from the brands they trust, support and buy. SEE ALSO :EPC, Brand Kenya appoint new boss after merger
To be successful, brands are building emotional loyalty through customer relationships. Recently, Reckitt Benckiser, in partnership with Practical Action and Kisumu County Government launched a schools’ hygiene programme to raise awareness on handwashing among school-going children. It was also meant to reduce sanitation-related ailments. Dettol as a brand should be harping about the germ-fighting ability in their soap. However, they have to first drive an emotional conversation on hygiene that speaks to primary school kids who will then engage their parents about the product. Dettol bosses believe that health and hygiene are inextricably linked and that economic growth can only happen alongside the promotion of health and wellness.

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“Our brands’ education programmes and health and hygiene awareness campaigns directly reach millions of individuals around the world. Our commitment to healthcare extends beyond simply selling products.,” says Treza Kinoru, Senior Brand Manager, Dettol. “We use our global footprint to extend our education and messaging as widely as possible, stimulating action around health and hygiene understanding to drive behaviour change.” The passion for protecting health is what drives our innovation and pushes Dettol to ensure generations remain emotionally connected to the brand.  Buying experiences Rather than throwing ads at consumers, behavioural marketing is the new trick as it enables a brand to align with the customers’ needs, wants and aspirations. This creates buying experiences that will result in favourable purchasing patterns, relationships, and loyalty. In marketing, emotional appeal campaigns are becoming the weapon for winning the hearts and minds of potential customers. In a recent campaign to launch a digital inverter refrigerator, Samsung showcased a bond between a mother and daughter aimed at communicating how the refrigerator runs non-stop on the home inverter. “The Samsung digital inverter compressor saves up to 50 per cent of the energy previously consumed by refrigerators and thus Samsung is keen on reaching out to the consumers whose main challenge is a spacious and energy-efficient refrigerator,” said Samuel Odhiambo Manager, Consumer Electronics Division, Samsung Electronics. Brands can no longer rely on hard selling or advertising. Firms have to work with the power of emotions to develop stronger connections between brands and their customers.