Why are businesses so afraid of expressing emotion?
Most brands are fairly buttoned up. Sure, you’ll come across the occasional fun-filled brand like Red Bull or the overconfident Old Spice. But what do you get from most brands? If you read any press release, often it begins like this: “XYZ Company is pleased to announce…”
Oh, we’re so pleased that you’re pleased. (Did you get the sarcasm?) Of course your company is pleased. Do you think they’d tell us that they were annoyed? Or mildly relieved? Or maybe nonplussed?
You’re probably pleased about a dozen things a day, right? But if you say the word aloud, odds are you’re not using it with any kind of emotion. It’s just a statement, not an exclamation.
There’s nothing wrong with putting personality behind your brand. Help make it stand out to people and stand for something that humans can relate to. After all, it’s Cicero who told us, “If you wish to persuade me, you must think my thoughts, feel my feelings, and speak my words.”
Remember that purely joyful Chewbacca video last week? Of course you do. Why? Because it evoked an emotional response from you.
The question is this: How are you evoking and provoking your customers and prospects? It doesn’t matter whether you’re a business to business company or a consumer-facing organization. Decision-making is in part due to emotions.
Don’t ignore emotions because they make you uncomfortable. Embrace them because they define you and set you apart from your competition.
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