Authentic emotional connection in Brand Experiences
Our five-part blog series explores how Tapaus professionals think about what elements are worth investigating in the design and implementation of brand experiences – in order to reach the attention of consumers as well as boost brand engagement.
In the fourth part of the series, we reflect on how to deepen the brand experience from the level of sensory perceptions and learning to an authentic emotional connection. How do we craft experiences that resonate on a personal level, considering that each individual's emotional landscape is uniquely their own?
First gig
On a January evening at the Mall of Tripla event square, a group of young people gathered to witness the emergence of new talents in the music scene: Hugo, Mirella, and Jami Faltin. After Hugo's performance, the atmosphere is charged with anticipation and excitement. The crowd is eagerly awaiting the first ever performance of pop star Mirella. When the moment arrives, and the 18-year-old pop star takes the stage to begin her first song, she is taken aback to see the audience singing along to every word. Overwhelmed by the moment, Mirella openly shares her amazement and this experience's uniqueness. Amid the audience, young individuals who share the artist's gypsy heritage resonate with a mix of pride and joy, creating a shared moment of genuine connection and celebration. This narrative captures a highlight from the Samsung Unpacked event in 2024, showcasing an experience cherished by both the emerging artist and the audience, facilitated by a renowned global brand. It's reasonable to believe that this moment fostered a positive emotional connection with the brand.
From observer to participant
Brand experiences hold immense potential to shape consumer perceptions and brand loyalty. Yet, the journey often begins at the surface level, where visibility is garnered through eye-catching design and visual appeal. Consumers are typically introduced to the brand's essence through the ambiance, scents, and sounds or activation. It's less common to come across brand experiences that enlighten by imparting new knowledge. But which ones are the most profound brand experiences? Those that establish a genuine emotional connection.
So, what prevents brand experiences from delving deeper and seeking emotional engagement with the brand or product? The answer is straightforward: it's challenging, often unpredictable, and requires greater effort. After all, it's nearly impossible to create emotions from the outside, as emotions arise from individuals' subjective experiences.
So, what approach should be taken if the objective is to create an emotionally impactful experience?
Firstly, it's important to acknowledge our inherent self-interest. Particularly during leisure activities, we seek experiences that offer personal benefits and make us feel good. The essence lies in fostering a feeling of personal achievement or happiness.
Therefore, the question arises: how can we design a brand experience that enables individuals to attain personal success and create a positive connection with the brand?
At its simplest, enabling the formation of an emotional connection could mean competing and winning. Personally, I have a competitive nature and tend to take quizzes more seriously than I should. Yet, the prospect of participating in contests always excites me, and the competitions I've joined leave a lasting memory. This sentiment isn't unique; challenges inspire us humans to invest significantly more thought, energy, and time with a brand. By engaging in competition, we deeply process the brand or product central to the experience, crafting a personal memory in the process. This act of participation inherently links us to the brand or product, enhancing our connection. Moreover, winning amplifies this effect, with the sense of achievement strengthening the positive association with the brand, making those memories last a bit longer.
Netflix's Money Heist serves as a good example of a brand experience concept effectively centered around competition. Fans had the opportunity to dive into the series' universe through escape room-like activations. This reached up to 15,000 eager participants in Miami. Additionally, the series sparked a continent-wide competition with the La Casa De Papel - The Biggest Fan campaign, which aimed to identify the series' ultimate fan via a quiz. Over 40,000 people participated in the contest, and it culminated in a final broadcast that captivated 3 million viewers.
Personalization and enabling
However, competition and winning aren't the only routes to deepen emotional connection. Storytelling and personalization are also very effective ways to elevate a visually impressive experience to new levels. The efficacy of storytelling is well-established, however, in Finland, personalization remains a relatively unused approach for enhancing brand experiences. In an era dominated by tailored recommendations from streaming platforms, curated social media feeds, and personalized online shopping deals, our expectations for similar customization extend to our experiences. We yearn for interactions that resonate with our unique subculture and interests, where our individuality is acknowledged on a personal level.
Therefore, it's worth exploring ways how we can tailor the brand experience slightly differently for every visitor. We should consider which aspects allow for choice or the chance to showcase individual personality. How can we ensure that each visitor feels acknowledged on a personal level? Or, how can we enable unique moments for our target audience, as we successfully did in the Samsung Unpacked event? Enabling, alongside competitions and personalization, is a great way to create truly special memories associated with the brand. The challenge lies in offering something truly exceptional, something that cannot be achieved otherwise.
While enumerating strategies to engage consumers on an emotional level might be straightforward, their execution is far more complex. Yet, a personal aspect stands out as a key element that ties these approaches together. To truly influence consumer perceptions and attitudes, a brand experience must facilitate a connection that extends into the consumer's personal life and emotions. Echoing the common adage, if achieving this were simple, it would be a universal practice.
Personal aspect is not something that can be prepackaged or preproduced; instead, it emerges from a thoughtfully designed brand experience that lays the groundwork for stirring emotions, empowering consumers, and creating a connection with their identity. "This feels like it was made for me!" - And voilà, a memory is created.
