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,

Rejection-

Acceptance, Approval

etc.

E.g. Bajaj Endeavor

Raymonds

Types of Emotional appeals POSITIVE FEELINGS

• Love and sentiments

• Laughter

• Attitude

• Happiness

• Joy

• Excitement

• Affection

• Pride

• Respect

NEGATIVE FEELINGS

• 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 isn’t motivated enough to do anything.

The exploitation of an individual’s 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 customer’s mind where as

emotional appeal helps an advertiser to put long lasting impact.

Improves brand’s 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?

Can’t Indian advertisers be more rational?

It’s 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? It’s 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