Starbucks’ marketing director-turned executive chairman Howard Schultz, believes that profitability is a shallow goal. He attributes the coffee giant’s explosive growth to a more, dare we say, perceptive aspiration: forming authentic, emotional connections with customers. It is these emotional connections, Shultz insists, that continuously bring back customers time after time.
Brands like Starbucks inspire a cult-like following because they score high on emotional quotient (EQ). EQ-savvy companies position their brand around the needs and desires of customers instead of their bottom line. And while customer-centrism isn’t new, the rise of social media makes forming personal connections with customers easier than ever.
Of course, many brands have tried connecting with customers through social media. The difference between those that fail and those that succeed (like Starbucks for instance) is how effective their social media campaigns are at stirring emotions. Branding expert and author Marc Gobé said, “People’s connections with brands transcend commerce.”
How does EQ Equal Connection?
The term “emotional quotient” gained traction during the 1980’s after psychologists theorized that IQ painted an incomplete picture of cognitive ability. EQ is defined as the measure of one’s ability to understand and manage the emotions of people around you, as well as your own emotions. People (or brands) with high EQ are empathic, which means they can easily decipher why others feel and act the way they do. They then take this information and react appropriately, which in turn makes people feel understood.
Why does Emotional Marketing Sell?
People don’t visit Starbucks for their inexpensive drinks. The company realized it could position itself as the “third place” outside of home and work, and it occupied that niche with strong social media campaigns focused around the value of community. Starbucks’ #HowWeMet campaign, for instance, encouraged Instagram users to share photos of get togethers in different Starbucks locations. “We have never made a passive marketing decision. It has always been taken with a view to engage with our customers and our store partners,” marketing director Manmeet Vohra said.
Dollar Shave Club is another example of emotional marketing. Founder Michael Dubin knew cheap razors alone wouldn’t shave a path to success, so he created a plan for an emotional connection: a $4,500 marketing video that drew 24 million views on YouTube. “Buying your razors doesn’t have to be a boring, humorless experience… If I can make five minutes out of everybody’s month an enjoyable five minutes and they get a great shave on the other end of that, then I’m really happy,” he told Business Insider.
Psychologist Daniel Kahneman found that people would rather do business with a brand they trust and like more than one that sells the same product at a lower price. Consumers tune out tone-deaf brands who insist on self-serving messages. The more a brand satisfies emotional desires, the more valuable and loyal customers become.
Can you Improve EQ?
Although many psychologists and cognitive scientists once thought IQ was static, most now believe that one’s IQ can be improved with the right training and practice. Similarly, EQ can be honed as well. Several companies – such as Google — are already training employees on emotional intelligence. But marketers don’t need to wait for a certificate to develop EQ; they can start by being honest about how their product fits a client’s needs. Questions like “Why would customers care about my product” or “What pain does my service address?” can help marketers center their thinking around the customer.
Fast food chain Wendy’s created an app on nutritional information after finding out on social media their customer’s concern for the nutritional value of their food. The brand’s attentiveness earned them almost two million followers on Twitter. They also received a good amount of positive press when an interaction with a customer became the most retweeted tweet of all time.
Today’s most successful brands have proven that connection comes before the product. Marketers should have an ear on the ground — and on social media — to glean the emotional needs and desires of the customer. Only then will customers commit to a company for their products and services, products and services they could easily purchase elsewhere.