WHY EQ IS IRREPLACEABLE

EQ surpasses IQ in driving budget boosting perceptions and authentic storytelling – Merilee Kern

A 2023 emotional intelligence market study citing “heavy growth” of US$ 49.9 billion by 2027 exemplifies how mastering emotional intelligence (EQ) versus intelligence quotient (IQ) is taking brands to exciting new levels of success – and why the converse can result in lost opportunities or brand busting.

Today’s highly discriminating and demanding marketplace is seemingly rife with substitutable solutions; and more often than not, consumers have choices… and they know it!

Although there is a buzz about advocating the power and efficacy of EQ in modern marketing and branding endeavours, there’s little consistency and clarity on the fundamental best practices and methodologies that can serve as a baseline catalyst.

JK Design is a full service creative agency with a powerhouse roster that includes Johnson & Johnson, Philips, Priceline, Prudential, ADP, Tiffany and more. And its CEO Martha Marchesi provides insights on five telltale signs that a brand may lack emotional intelligence and how to ensure that EQ is employed effectively in marketing strategies:

MESSAGING An emotionally intelligent brand demonstrates empathy by understanding and addressing the emotions, concerns and needs of its customers. And one that lacks empathy may come across as cold, indifferent or unaware in its messaging, often creating a disconnect between the brand and its audience.

This can not only lead to a weakened brand image but also outright customer dissatisfaction. Egregious and extreme cases of brands being emotionally ‘tone dead’ can result in them being publicly ‘flamed’ on social media and elsewhere.

One great way to exhibit empathy in brand messaging is to address common and specific customer pain points – such as productivity, finances, processes and support. Another approach is to use storytelling that highlights relatable customer experiences – for example, cost savings, productivity, efficiency and customer support.

These strategies can create a more deeply engrained bond with the audience.

It’s also imperative to ensure that empathy is conveyed in an authentic and credible manner, which will resonate with the audience. One easy way to achieve this is for public communications from the company to display vulnerability as this fosters relatability and trust.

In the post-COVID marketplace, there’s been a profound and pivotal shift towards empathy and engagement that requires business leaders to enhance their EQ skill sets to meet new expectations. Another effective method is to utilise genuine customer testimonials, stories and case studies that articulate firsthand brand experiences.

PROFILING Emotionally intelligent brands tailor their messaging to different customer segments. Brands that rely on generic and impersonal communication might not address their audience’s specific needs. EQ enlightened brands consider more targeted messaging.

If your brand serves both young professionals and retirees, then entirely separate and targeted messaging and visuals for each of those groups is necessary. But try to dig deeper and discern what else (beyond demographics) makes those in your customer base distinct, and use language and imagery that will resonate on a more individual level.

Of course, even before crafting such messaging, a brand must first understand what makes each segment tick. What are their values? What inspires them to action? What upsets them?

A comprehensive profile of each customer category must be developed and continuously updated, to ensure that your brand’s messaging keeps pace with evolving sensibilities and cultural shifts.

FEATURES Emotionally intelligent brands understand that customers care more about the benefits of a product or service rather than its features. Brands that focus too heavily on product attributes and technical specifications should begin explaining how those features will improve customers’ lives.

A great way is to use clear and concise benefit statements on a product’s usability, safety, environmental responsibility, affordability, durability and more. Or to highlight that a service will save time, is efficient and productive, and so on.

Cite as many user benefits as possible to make an unequivocal case as to why your solution is the best one.

Another approach is to create relatable scenarios that detail how customers have specifically benefitted by working with your brand. It’s even better if you can include metrics data and analytics.

By discussing the various ways in which the product or service can truly impact and enhance the lives of its users, your brand can forge stronger emotional connections in the marketplace.

FEEDBACK Emotionally intelligent brands actively seek, value and utilise customer feedback in a sustained manner to improve their products and services, and fine-tune future messaging.

Prioritise the incorporation of customer insights into brand strategy by conducting regular informal polls, formal customer surveys, monitoring social media channels or even hosting focus groups.

Customer feedback, however positive or negative it may be, provides valuable and powerful market research. EQ driven brands take concerted action on each viable data point to share those insights with the relevant internal teams and other appropriate stakeholders to ensure that the collective has an accurate and cohesive understanding of the organisation’s key performance indicators (KPIs) at any given time.

BRAND VALUE Emotionally intelligent brands embrace and communicate their core values and beliefs effectively.

For instance, brands can easily showcase their commitment to sustainability through overt green initiatives, which customers are made aware of through public communications and discourse.

In addition to showcasing these values on the brand’s own website, other platforms such as citations in public relations, social media, on and offline advertising, direct emails and newsletters, and other avenues should be used.

Brands that fail to express their values or purpose in some identifiable way may need to reassess how they communicate their mission. Clearly define and articulate your brand values internally; then systematically integrate those values across all marketing channels to ensure that a cohesive and authentic message is conveyed to your audience at every possible touch point.

EQ is key to any marketing strategy and should help you craft your story, develop inspired positioning and brand architecture, empower your sales force, create engaging content, collaborate with your creative team, transform the typical e-commerce experience into a story driven customer journey, measure your results and more.

By making impactful and authentic emotional connections with your audience and continuously fine-tuning that approach, you can drive meaningful results that create even unforeseen advantages and help you exceed your goals.