Have You Taken Emotions Into Account In This Equation?

If we look at it from a theoretical perspective, we might say there is one funnel for the buying decision process which includes steps from need recognition to post-purchase evaluation. However, this funnel might not be as rational as we expect. There is another significant aspect: Emotion.  Feeling sad, excited, or happy can influence on what we think and what we buy. Some successful brands create an impact with their emotion-trigger campaigns. One of the most powerful brands is Red Bull.

Red Bull is an energy drink brand, but this is not how they positioned themselves in the market.  They position themselves as a lifestyle brand that is associated with adrenaline, excitement and adventure. This approach shapes their market strategy. They just don’t show the product itself; instead, they create exciting moments in the different areas. This emotions lead us to aware, consider, interest and action.

You can easily recall the moment that Felix Baumgartner jumped from the edge of space or Andrzej Bargiel skied down from Mount Everest without oxygen. After he skied down, the video ends with a scene of him drinking Red Bull. Even though the event is not about selling a product, it reinforced the brand’s association with adventure, courage, and pushing human limits. With all these fascinating activations, the brand creates awareness. At that point, Red Bull’s strategy can influence the buying decision process. Even if you don’t think of buying any energy drink, Red Bull has got awareness in consumers’ minds. This helps a lot when people is in the evaluation era. When we finally come to the purchase stage, these emotional connections between the brand and the consumer(to-be) increases the possibility of choosing RedBull over any other brand.

From a buyer psychology perspective, this strategy is very powerful because it allow to consumers to connect Red Bull with energy and performance. This also simplfy  decision-making process.

In conclusion, Red Bull example shows us how emotions play a significant role to influence buying-decision process and consumer behavior. Marketing campaigns and brand experiences can create emotional connections that stay in consumers’ minds for a long time. As a result, brands that trigger emotions through their campaigns will more likely be chosen over competitiors, even if they offer cheaper options.

Dilanur Pekgil