Intro

There is no longer any doubt that emotions drive human behavior. Some estimates that I have seen suggests that 70% - 80% of decisions are driven by emotions.

One of my favorite quotes is "consumers decide emotionally, then justify rationally." It is not much of a stretch for any of us to think of things we have bought that solves no rational need, but provides us with an emotional jolt. A few years ago, I would buy and change processors in my computer every few months so that I can get another few megs of clock speed. Not sure if I ever saw a difference, but, boy, it felt good to know that I have the fastest chip available.

So, as marketers, how should we think about emotions? Many of us are very comfortable with solving for rational needs - make it brighter, faster, easier... Emotions are no different. We are looking to solve for emotional needs. Are consumers aspiring for a higher sense of self-worth? Are they seeking some serenity? Perhaps some social acceptance? The process is the same, but identifying emotional needs are a little more difficult. More on that later. But, once you think about your product or service in terms of fulfilling your consumers' emotional needs, you are 50% of the way there.