All the decisions we make in our everyday lives are motivated by some psychological force. Also, everything in our environment that is man-made was built with human psychology in mind. From the colour of our lights to the way we browse social media, all of it has specific psychological roots. The brands we interact with every day utilize the science behind human psychology in order to achieve certain goals. More specifically, branding psychology. Experienced marketers use it to build branding strategies. Their goal is to tap into a person’s subconscious in order to create an irresistible brand, product, and service. A brand needs to speak the same language to the targeted audience. It needs to influence the customer’s choice that fits into our brand strategy. Ultimately, conversion, purchases and recurring customers are the final goals. In this article, we will cover the basic use case scenarios of psychology in our brand strategies.
1. Science and brand strategy
There are plenty of studies online that show people tend to buy things based on the feelings and experiences those can provide. When we see something we like, certain hormones fill up our heads. There are many different ones that serve different purposes. The ones we want to focus on are the hormones that induce love and affection. It is supposed to make the customers feel good with their product and themselves as well. It is no longer the simple matter of outlining how the product or service solves people’s problems. It is about creating a picture of happy, stress-free customers that has a much better effect. Humans are primarily emotional creatures. Emotions work. We assign emotional values to things. These emotions are stored in our heads often for life. It is an evolutionary trait. Good memories serve to remind us that we can experience them again. Bad ones are a survival mechanism to help us avoid danger.
2. Knowing your audience
In order to target the right emotions, you will have to get familiar with your audience. This can give you an advantage over your competition. Sure, anyone can make a great product at an affordable price, but can they sell a story? Customers are receptive to quality brand messages. Associations are best created through a constant line of communication with the target audience. Luckily, it has never been easier to get in touch with and to update your (potential) clients. Using social media platforms, we can gather the kind of information never before thought possible. Make sure you are utilizing this technology to the fullest extent. Another irreplaceable way to get to know your audience and their wants is to gather feedback. Provide them with incentives to answer your public questions. Also, constructive criticism is always most welcome. Track the market shifts and always take customer feedback into account.
3. The psychology of colour
Different colours induce different feelings in people. Colours are one of the most basic methods to make people feel a vast array of emotions. Most of these are evolutionarily preordained. Often enough, culture has a say in how people perceive different colours. For instance, the colour white means death for certain Asian regions. Another example, red almost universally signals passion and love. Green is the most natural colour that reminds us of nature. Creative branding agencies utilize this knowledge and leverage colours to achieve various different goals. They can be used to communicate brand values, price ranges, and much more. There are a plethora of examples online. Study the industry giant’s logos and their colour schemes. How do those make you feel? Try different test designs and study how people react to them. Lastly, be consistent in your colour scheme. People need to recognize it anywhere they go.
4. Brand personalities
There are five basic brand personalities. These are components of the science behind branding psychology. Each of these five communicates with the audience through specific characteristics. The first one is sincerity. Brands need to be trustworthy, family-oriented, kind and thoughtful of their customers and others. Next, we have the exciting type. These brands embrace excitement as the primary trait. This means they exude a carefree, youthful, and exuberant feel. Robustness or ruggedness. With this persona, a brand aims to convey a sense of athleticism, toughness, and resilience. Next, we have Competence. These brands put leadership in the limelight. Their influence and aspirations are usually expressed through geometric logos with sharp edges. Their interaction with their clients is straightforward and professional. Lastly, we have a sophisticated brand. This persona accentuates their prestige and luxuriousness. Of course, we can have many combinations and variations. Some brands combine 2 or more of these personas to create a more unique sensation.
5. Social proof
Any brand needs to establish social proof. This means if a person sees a satisfied customer, they are much more likely to become a customer themselves. As we have said before, people are social creatures. Word of mouth travels very fast and can be a huge indicator, positive or negative. This is especially true in a world where everyone is overwhelmed with digital and generic information. Social proof has plenty of applications, like quotes from satisfied customers, to star ratings on a ranking website.
Connect with your audience on a deeper level. It is what is needed in a globalized and heavily saturated marketplace. Explore the science of brand psychology and interact with your audience on another level altogether.
