Sometimes you run across an idea or thought that just rings true to you. For me, this is the case with Maya Angelou’s famous quote, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Not only does this intuitively make sense, we now know through the study of neuroscience that emotional experiences are stored more vividly than other kinds of memories. And, the more senses the experience engages, the easier long-term memories are created. Life events like graduations, weddings, a game-winning goal or hit, the first time we met our spouse or significant other, are all great examples of vividly stored memories.
What a brand means to us boils down to the type of emotional experiences we have with it. Ongoing positive, meaningful experiences lead to repeat buying behavior and market share growth. The U.K.-based Institute of Practitioners in Advertising has analyzed hundreds of ads for effectiveness and found that emotionally engaging advertising is twice as efficient as rational ads and deliver twice the profit. Study results and this conclusion are reported in the book, “The Long and Short of It,” by Les Binet and Peter Field.
This all leads us to the fundamental question many CEOs and CMOs ask: “How do I improve the return on investment of my brand communications?” The answer lies in how your brand experience and communication make people feel. The Bloodhound Group is well-positioned to help you and your brand. Visit the Services section of this site for details.