Disappointment – The Dark Side of Emotionalisation

Marriage scam instead of true love – this is how modern advertising is compared to classic advertising in the article “Die Bemühung” (The Endeavour) on brandeins.de. While we used to court each other as though we were at a dance in the 50s, today we’re bombarded with messages like at a techno parade.

But it isn’t the associated penetrance and noise which are considered to be of critical importance, but that its messages bore deeply into our consciousness. To this end, brands build up relationships and above all, trust. This is how they cultivate their image. The topics emotionalisation is not without reason fashionable at the moment, it is part of our current evolutionary stage in marketing and advertising.

The more they promise, the harder they fall

What is the problem with so much emotional charge in brands, products and enterprises? Those who wish to build trust, have to be able to deliver. Firstly, the product has to meet heightened expectations, and hold up in the long term. Those who develop their advertising champagne better than the products themselves will lose out in the long run.

» Those who gives themselves over to emotionality because they want to curry favour with the customer, without improving their product or service, or thinking the connection with the customer through, ensure disappointment.

Advertising consultant Matthias Maschmann from brandeins.de «

Secondly: The better the confidence built up works, the worse its loss. Just how dramatic the loss of collective confidence can be for an image is currently being shown by the ADAC scandal. Those who promise reliability as “yellow angels” have to be able to come up with the goods.

Old virtues as antidote

What is to be done? Keep our distance from emotionalisation? No, but stay on the ball when it comes to the product itself and deliver consistent quality. A bad product is not improved by great marketing. Only those who are excellent can afford to indulge in emotionally charged brand presentation. For example, Apple: a close to perfectly designed product world may be presented accordingly.

The presentation of the tech messiah may not match the business at all. This isn’t necessary. Being honest about quality, making an effort in innovation, being authentic when it comes to communication, and exercising honesty and sincerity already make a huge difference. (see Best Practice: Dealing with Problems).