Today’s digital era has saturated our News Feed with an overwhelming quantity of content, making us immune to most of the things that we see, hear, or consume on a daily basis.
We evolved to consume media so frequently that is challenging for us to produce a reaction to content unless it stands out. And even when it does, we tend to quickly forget it.
Think about it: How many times have you scrolled down your Facebook News Feed without remembering anything you just saw?
According to Franklin M. Collins from Georgia Southern University, teenagers who spend a considerable amount of time on social media are less likely to develop emotional intelligence strengths, like empathy or self-awareness, due to their emotional connectedness to digital social settings.
In other words, teens who spend a lot of time connected to social media platforms are less likely to be aware of their surroundings, their personal relationships, and even their own emotions.
So what does this mean for brands?
The lack of emotional awareness encouraged by social media translates into audiences not being able to truly listen to your message. These audiences are not looking for publicity or commercials, but rather an authenticity in a place saturated with targeted content.
The problem translates into a lack of attention when promoting a product, causing audiences to quickly lose interest in listening, reading, or having anything to do with your brand.
This is also true for older demographics, who through the power of VCRs, for example, can record shows and skip all the commercials that marketers put a lot of effort, resources, and time into. Bummer.
The solution to this problem.
Keep trying to connect. If we can no longer get our audiences to listen to or watch our brand messaging, maybe the solution is that we make our audiences feel something that relates to your brand. Our partners at HubSpot also refer to this and emphasize that “people seemed to really love raw and authentic content.”
Emotions play an essential role when it comes to brands. When a consumer learns to love a brand, they become loyal and share the love for your brand authentically. This is a theory reinforced by multiple marketers, from former Saatchi Chairman Kevin Roberts in his book “Lovemarks” to Thinktopia’s Patrick Hanlon and his Primal Branding framework.
“Build communities that become so passionate about your success, they build it themselves.” - Patrick Hanlon
So while revenue is a great indicator of a company’s success, it shouldn’t be the only way your company measures success. Today’s business environment dictates a need for company cultures that generate positive emotions and ignites passion, all of which should also drive the success of a company.
Remember, the next time you want to promote content to your audience, aim to make them feel something.
Thank you for reading! Comment below or reach me out at carlos@roionline.com if you want to give me feedback or ideas on what to write next.
Illustrations by Carlos Aguirre, @carlosaguirre__ on Instagram.
