With Mother’s Day just around the corner, it seems like the perfect time to talk about emotional marketing. In this article, we explore what it means and how it’s used.
Mother’s Day strikes a chord among us all as it is a day to honor and appreciate mothers, grandmothers, great grandmothers and moms-to-be for everything they do, give and sacrifice. Sunday, May 12, 2019, is Mother’s Day in the United States, and we’ve been seeing so much activity in the world of marketing around this day. We decided to see what’s been brewing in the ad world.
Let’s jump in with a Mother’s Day quote by Lance Conrad first,
I can imagine no heroism greater than motherhood.
Before the celebrations get underway, it’s all about the right marketing campaigns and shopping trends. Customer emotions are the center of focus when such special days rake up sales. It’s especially important to modify your marketing strategy to catch last-minute shoppers and influence them at these sensitive junctures.
Let’s quickly look at some Mother’s Day stats according to location platform, GroundTruth:
- Last-minute Mother’s day gifts are bought at her favorite department store
- Foot traffic spikes by 81% on the Saturday before the holiday
- 283% of these department store visitors are young professionals and millennials
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So, what is it about Mother’s day that has millennials hurrying into stores at the last minute? We asked Dan Silver, VP of MarketingOpens a new window at GroundTruth, to elaborate on the best way and time to reach young professionals and millennials. Here’s what he had to say,
Because of the last minute gifting element to Mother’s Day, brands should be targeting key audiences now – the week leading up to Mother’s Day – to influence where they go to pick up a gift for a Mom, especially when they’re near a point of interest like a Department or Jewelry Store. Reaching them when they’re in close proximity to a gifting destination increases the relevancy of your messaging and can encourage them to pick up a gift while they’re already out and about.
According to GroundTruth’s foot traffic data, there is a large window of opportunity to engage with Millennials while they are out shopping. For Millennials, foot traffic begins to peak around 11 AM (80% above average) until about 5 PM, where it begins to dip after that hour. There is a shorter window of opportunity to engage with Young Professionals while they are out shopping. For Young Professionals, foot traffic peaks later in the day around 2 PM (107% above average) until about 5 PM, where it begins to dip after that hour.
Now that you know the when and where, let’s talk about the how —this brings us to emotional marketing.
Emotional marketingOpens a new window employs emotions such as happiness, sadness, fear or anger to influence sales. Smart brands are telling compelling stories that strike an emotional chord in the minds of their customers and prospects to stand out. As we know, people tend to buy from you when you appeal to their emotionsOpens a new window .
Learn More: Emotion is Essential to Good CX – How You Can ensure It’s PositiveOpens a new window
Let’s look at what some top brands are doing right this Mother’s Day.
1. Kraft Is Giving Mothers the Gift of Nothing
No meltdowns, no diaper changes, no trying to go to the bathroom with kids pounding on the door.
Kraft’s campaign hits home as most mothers don’t need gifts, just some time to themselves.
Pro Tip:Â Focusing on what mothers need instead of what people think they want, worked in Kraft’s favor. While most brands simply promote their products as gift ideas, Kraft went one step further. They offered to cover the cost of a sitter so mothers were free to do what they really want. It’s not all about sales after all. Using this opportunity to build brand image and credibility was a brilliant move.
2. Virgin Holiday with No Guilt Trip
Virgin voyages tackled the reservations mothers have about going on vacation without their kids. With this campaign, Virgin talks to mothers and their kids to find out what each had to say about mothers going away on holiday.
Pro Tip:Â Once again, the marketing campaign empathizes with mothers who need a break but feel guilty about leaving the kids home while on holiday. An emotion as vital and as basic as empathy can go a long way in making your brand relatable and memorable. When the time comes to actually plan a trip, brand recall is what will get customers knocking on your door.
3. KFC’s Hot-and-Bothered Mother’s Day
KFC decided to be playful and silly, tapping into another emotion — making moms happy *wink wink*. The special dance for moms got a lot of mixed reviews but over 500000 views in just two weeks.
Pro Tip:Â Unlike most brands, KFC decided to take a different route, as they have been doing recently, by creating something wacky and fun, but totally memorable. Don’t be afraid to try new and exciting things even if you think it’s not your style.
4. Hallmark’s Timeless Moments
Hallmark pulled at our heartstrings with their Mother’s Day campaign about special moments and how quickly they change. This super emotional video has us applauding their storytelling skills and their emotional marketing.
Pro Tip:Â Since we are talking about Mother’s Day, what better way than to go way back to the first moments of being a mom and dwelling a while on the experiences that follow? Try that approach, go back to the basics, it will definitely help get out of the clutter of overdone cheesiness.
5. Macy’s Bag to Combat Separation Anxiety
Macy’s found a way to incorporate their bags into their beautifully emotional storytelling about separation anxiety every mother and child experiences. YouTubers went out of the way to comment on the 30-second ad that had them, and us, tearing up
Pro Tip:Â Marketers need to notice those tiny, exquisite moments and to take inspiration from real life situations and make something beautiful and moving. Storytelling is an art but evoking such strong emotions in 30 seconds is something else!
6. Jared Says It’s Time to Get Engaged
Accessories brand, Jared came up with a fresh new idea we loved, and this time it wasn’t emotional at all – it cracked us up. The campaign is a four-ad series, with the first three relating to the one thing the mothers of every eligible bachelor wants — for him to get married! The fourth video acts as a climax to the series and, well we don’t want to be a spoiler, watch them all hereOpens a new window .
Pro Tip: It’s easy to get stuck on a certain genre depending on your brand but break out of it. A dash of out-of-the-box thinking, and some brilliant imagination coupled with humor can help you shine.
And the Award Goes to… Emotional Marketing!
Emotions drive customer experiences and influence behavior. As a brand, invoking the right mix of emotions can take your brand a long way. Understanding your target audience and relating to their challenges or experiences will help you empathize and therefore create content they would enjoy.
Emotional marketing is all about listening to your customers’ wants and tapping into their emotional needs. Don’t forget to add humor! As HuffPost reportedOpens a new window , awe, laughter and amusement are the three most vital emotions responsible for content going viral.
Has emotional marketing been a consideration for you? Tell us on LinkedInOpens a new window , FacebookOpens a new window , or TwitterOpens a new window .