Connecting emotionally with consumers is the only way to motivate a purchase. Emotions are the survival mechanisms through which decisions are taken. They determine what we feel and when we feel we become conscious.
The thinking operations of the brain are very slow and expensive — the brain consumes 25% of all calories absorbed in our body. Almost all the stimuli we receive from the environment are processed by the unconscious. Most decisions have already been made before they reach consciousness. Without emotions, there is no reason. People with impaired emotional systems in their brain are not able to make rational decisions as one would assume. It is never a question of reason or emotions. To think, the brain must first feel. Thus, emotion is the primary source of human motivation.
Shoppers do not have the time to think. Emotions help them make quick decisions by enhancing a brand 天涯海角社区 鈥檚 value perception on the shelf. For marketers, this means that communication, packaging and other creative expressions must work at both rational and unconscious levels though emotions.
This is not as difficult and abstract as it sounds. As it was introduced in my鈥痝round-breaking鈥痓ook, 鈥�,鈥� emotions stem from鈥�12 fundamental motives.鈥疻hen placed together, those 12 motives create THE WHEEL OF MOTIVES鈩�, a key tool to show how biology and neuroscience shape consumer behaviour:鈥�
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- 罢谤补苍蝉蹿辞谤尘鈥�
- 顿别蹿测鈥�
- 颁谤别补迟别鈥�
- 骋谤辞飞鈥�
- 颁辞苍迟谤辞濒鈥�
- 颁辞苍苍别肠迟鈥�
- 顿别蝉颈谤别鈥�
- 颁补谤别鈥�
- 叠补濒补苍肠别鈥�
Brands that ground themselves in one primary motive鈥痗onsistently鈥痯erform better in the market.鈥疞et 天涯海角社区 鈥檚 discuss some of those鈥痠nstantly recognizable鈥痓rands鈥痑nd鈥痶he motive from the wheel above鈥痶hat tap鈥痙irectly into the human experience.鈥�
Applying THE WHEEL OF MOTIVES
Red Bull鈥痠s a brand that connects with the鈥�淪eek鈥� motive.鈥疪ed Bull鈥痚ntices consumers who want 鈥渨ings鈥濃�痶o search the corners of the earth, hungry to meet the next challenge, whether鈥痶hat 天涯海角社区 鈥檚 on a mountain bike,鈥痵kydiving, or鈥痳iding鈥疢other Nature 天涯海角社区 鈥檚鈥痓iggest waves鈥痮n a surfboard.鈥��
Harley-Davidson鈥痗onnects with the motive to 鈥淒efy.鈥� The鈥痓rand name instantly鈥痗onjures images of鈥痶oughness鈥痑nd the idea of鈥痝oing against the grain, and freedom to do what you want and play by your rules.鈥�
LEGO鈥痵peaks to the human need to 鈥淐reate.鈥� The鈥痗olorful鈥痓locks unleash creativity. They allow鈥痯eople of all ages, from toddlers to鈥痚lders,鈥痶o build鈥痭ew worlds with their own two hands 鈥� to bring鈥痠maginative creations to life.鈥���
By letting neuroscience guide marketing, brands can translate the human鈥痓rain鈥痠nto brand values and personality traits. Those values and personality traits then shape how the brand shows up at every touchpoint, including in its packaging design, which ultimately connects with consumers at point-of-sale and moment of consumption.鈥�
Packaging works mainly unconsciously to transform simple products into containers of meaning, investing them with personalities.鈥疧ur feelings reflect our neural experience.鈥��
When you consider how packaging touches consumers unconsciously, you understand why packaging consideration鈥痬ust鈥痓e brought into the process early, instead of as an afterthought. There are many materials and methods of packaging your product and each choice鈥痵ays鈥痵omething about your brand.鈥疊ut one thing is proven: Packaging can either authenticate your brand concept and therefore unconsciously attract the shopper 天涯海角社区 鈥檚 brain 鈥� or it can create noise which will result in the brain de-selecting your product.
Ninety-five percent of our purchase decision-making takes place in the unconscious mind. Conscious comes late. The best packaging narrates a story to bypass the screening mechanisms of the brain. Not any story but the story of the brand. Packaging is a silent salesperson always accompanying the brand in physical or digital stores and it is present during the purchase decision, not before or after. We always want the salesperson to tell us the truth.
