Emotional Appeal in Advertising

PARTH B. SHAH
MBA PHARMA SEM 1 EXAM No. 38

Content
Overview Types

Advantages
Disadvantages

What is it?

Emotional appeal is the type of advertising in which the copy is designed to stimulate one's emotions, rather than one's sense of the practical or impractical type of advertising. This relates to the customers social and/or psychological needs for purchasing a product or service. This appeal is much effective because many consumers motives for purchase decisions are emotional. Many advertisers believe an emotional appeal work better at selling brands that do not differ markedly from competing brands. India is a hugely emotional country. Therefore, a heart-touching commercial will definitely help to convince the target audience to buy that particular product.

Classification of advertising having emotional appeal

Personal Feelings
Care, Safety, Security, Affection, Happiness, Joy, Excitement, Arousal/ stimulation, Sorrow/grief, Pride, Achievement/accomplish ment, Self-esteem, Actualization, Pleasure, Ambition, Comfort etc. E.g. AXE, Nissan Sunny, Nokia C1

Social feelings
Recognition, Status, Respect, Involvement, Embarrassment, Affiliation/belonging, RejectionAcceptance, Approval etc. E.g. Bajaj Endeavor Raymonds

Types of Emotional appeals

POSITIVE FEELINGS

NEGATIVE FEELINGS

Love and sentiments Laughter Attitude Happiness Joy Excitement Affection Pride Respect

Jealousy Anger Tears Hate Nostalgia Fear Attitude

Love and sentiment

Associated with a close and happy home life. Baby products, pet products, foods, cameras, greeting cards.

Dairy Milk

ICICI Prudential

Laughter, joy, and happiness

 Ego appeal Desire for status For comfort items, luxury items, big ticket Credit cards, luxury cars, designer clothing Hero worship Uses athletes, celebrities You will be like your hero, if you use the product

Attitude

Anger, jealousy, envy and obsession

After an era of tragedies and raging hearts, where positive emotions such as happiness, love, compassion and joy had been the dominant moods, ad makers are now increasingly beginning to focus on the negative palette of human emotions. Reliance Mobile Scooty Pep

Fear Appeals
Fear has facilitating effects and inhibiting effects.
Facilitation = motivation to approach / avoid something Inhibition = discouragement from approaching / avoiding something

Moderate fear appeals work best by encouraging facilitation and minimizing inhibition.
Too much fear: the audience tunes out the message
Low credibility or elaboration of harmful consequences is unpleasant.

Too little fear: the audience isnt motivated enough to do anything.

 The exploitation of an individuals fears and

insecurities. Deodorant commercials Insurance Commercials
CEAT Tires

Advantages
Long

lasting impact

Promotions like small offers & reduction in prices or buy & win leaves short term impact on customers mind where as emotional appeal helps an advertiser to put long lasting impact.

Improves

brands impression, personality and value with feelings.

Such emotions helps advertiser to create brands. Brands are built in the minds and hearts of customers and it is important to understand that consumers like and consume brands rationally as well as emotionally.

India,

being the country of rituals and festivals gives an opportunity to advertisers to generate emotions for their brand amongst consumers.

Disadvantages
Emotional

appeal advertisements have often had negative effect on the audience. People have been seen to commit suicide too. Also, there has been a restrained desire in the heart of people who are not sufficient enough to purchase a produce that generates a desire in them. This leads to disappointment! Advertisements for fairness creams in which people are emotionally targeted.

Unrealistic Claim

Is this the only way left to connect with Indian consumers? Cant Indian advertisers be more rational?
Its true that there are certain products that need an emotional connect with the consumers. But does it make sense to use sentiments in a low-involvement category such as cement, where the purchase decision should be driven by rational thought? Its easier to sell a brand through emotional connects, even in drab categories such as cement or a money transfer service Electric switches have become a symbol of sensuality. Cement is a carrier of legacy. Even a money transfer service can strengthen familial bonds.

THANK YOU