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The Best Emotional Marketing Campaigns of 2016

Here at The Telemarketing Company, we are big believers in the power of emotional marketing. Emotional marketing campaigns build a personal connection with the audience and give your brand a human identity. These are the campaigns that stick with people – the feeling an emotional campaign gives your audience will stay with them long after the content has been forgotten, but very few of us retain the detail of general marketing communications for any length of time. Get under your potential customers’ skins and they will remember that feeling and continue to associate your brand with the emotions you inspired.

B2B buyers are 50% more likely to make a purchase with a brand they feel emotionally connected to, and eight times more likely to pay a premium price. So, understanding how to build that human connection can have a major impact on your business.

Here we’ve summarised our favourite emotional campaigns of the year, with some learnings for you to take away.

GE: The Message

Media: Podcast, YouTube, microsite, Wikipedia, Reddit

The Message

Although technically launched at the end of 2015, we felt this campaign was worthy of recognition in 2016 as the impact continued into the beginning of this year. GE wanted to highlight the sonic technology at the centre of their next generation of medical equipment, but, rather than preaching the benefits of their products, they hooked their audience with a much more thrilling experience. The Message is an eight-part podcast, a modern-day radio play, telling the unsettling story of researchers attempting to decode alien transmissions, and investigating the potential impact of soundwaves on human health.

Gripping and seriously scary, The Message takes the audience on an intense emotional journey that stimulates all the senses, showing GE to be at the forefront of innovation and a brand to pay attention to.

Top tip:  Be creative and think of other ways to tell your story that will cut through the noise of other brands.

PowWowNow: Here’s To Flexible Working

Media: Live events, OOH Advertising, Facebook, Twitter

Pow Wow Now

Video conferencing tools might not seem like the most exciting topic on the planet, but PowWowNow got their audience excited about the software by tapping into the growing discussion on flexible working. With more and more employees looking for flexible options, and legislation increasing employee rights in this area, this is a hot topic, where PowWowNow can play a major role. They launched their campaign by highlighting the benefits of flexible working in eye-catching and entertaining ways, then went on to involve their customers by asking them to share what flexible working meant to them. The result was an active discussion about why flexible working matters – thereby making tangible the benefits of PowWowNow’s service – with the company positioned as thought leaders and campaigners for their customers’ rights.

Top tip: Don’t just talk about your products, talk about the benefits they have for your customers. Even better, involve your customers in the conversation and get them to talk about the benefits for you!

PwC: #BallotBriefcase

Media: Snapchat

Ballot Briefcase

PwC wanted to create buzz around the company and enhance their credibility amongst the next generation of talent. To do this, they decided to highlight their work with the Oscars – for the last 82 years, they have been responsible for delivering the briefcase containing the award winners to the ceremony. They brought this activity to life by creating a Snapchat account for the briefcase, recording its journey and the celebrities it encounters along the way.

PwC didn’t focus on their brand in this campaign, making it all about the briefcase, and allowing the association to be made with their company naturally. The briefcase had its own distinctive personality and told a fun and engaging story.

Top tip: Highlight the unexpected and unusual sides of your business and show genuine personality.

Knorr: Dishing Up Advice on Gluten-Free

Media: Live events, Twitter, YouTube, website

Knorr

Having discovered that, due to lack of options, 50% of coeliacs had given up eating out – meaning £100 million in lost revenue for the industry – Knorr recognised the value of its position as the only gravy to already be gluten and allergen free. They researched their audience and discovered that 60% of chefs would like to offer gluten-free meals, but were concerned about cross-contamination and lacked recipe inspiration. So Knorr set out to help. They created practical guides to safely creating a gluten-free kitchen, as well as recipes and cooking tips. Knorr also enlisted the help of celebrity chef, Phil Vickery, to provide face to face and online training. This activity led to an increased market share, with Knorr closing the gap on market leader Bisto.

Top tip: Think beyond your product itself and look at how it fits into the bigger picture. Understand how your product’s attributes impact the lives of your customers, ask your audience how you can help, and don’t be afraid to take a stance on wider issues.

Time Warner Cable Business Class: Start Growing

Media: YouTube, Facebook, Twitter

Rather than focus on their business, TWC’s campaign focused on their customers’ businesses. In a series of videos and through social media content, TWC showcased the pioneering and innovative work of some of the companies that use their services. By championing these small businesses, TWC not only strengthened their relationships with existing customers but created a powerful narrative that resonated strongly with their target audience of SMEs. The content made the customer the star, thereby making them feel valued, but still subtly demonstrated the role that TWC played in helping the businesses grow.

Top tip: Put your customers at the heart of your campaigns and make them feel special. Show that you genuinely care about what matters to them.

It’s been an exciting year for B2B marketing – we’re looking forward to seeing what 2017 has to offer.

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