What's the key to customers' hearts?
Hint: It's not what you've been told
Why Are You Here?
Hello, dear readers of Cyborg Marketer! First off, I owe you an apology for not sending out an issue last week. I've been brewing an exciting three-part series, with today’s issue kicking things off. So, without further ado, welcome back to your weekly guide to brand growth mastery! Ready to crack complex concepts with AI and unique ChatGPT prompts? Let’s dive in.
Growth Spotlight
Ever thought of a highlighter as more than a study buddy? Stabilo Boss did with their 'Highlight the Remarkable' campaign, shining a spotlight not just on words, but on the remarkable women behind them. With interaction rates flying at 27% and daily mentions hitting 4,100, the brand found itself mentioned 97.4% more often (and we can only imagine the cha-ching that followed)1.
Now, let’s swivel our attention to an undercover bank that rolled out a credit card designed with Millennials in mind. Aimed at forging an emotional bond, this move saw a 70% uptick in usage among Millennials and a 40% growth in new accounts2.
So, what’s the common thread weaving through these success stories?
They tapped into the emotional motivators of their customers.
But the $64,000 question is…
…Are you tapping into the emotional motivators of yours?
The Silent Saboteur: Misalignment
Ever get the sinking feeling that your marketing campaigns are diving headfirst into the abyss, with engagement and conversion rates flatlining? You're not alone, and the culprit might be lurking where you least expect it: a misalignment between your brand messaging and the emotional motivators of your customers (I’ve briefly explored this concept in a previous issue).
Put simply, if your messaging isn’t strumming the right heartstrings, it’s like babbling in an alien tongue to your customers—they just won’t vibe or respond in the way you’ve dreamt.
Now, let’s unveil the invisible forces at play.
Understanding Emotional Motivators
I’ve lifted these nine core emotional motivators from Will Leach’s Marketing To Mindstates:
Achievement: Striving for success and celebrating accomplishments.
Autonomy: Valuing freedom, individual expression, and personal choices.
Belonging: Desiring deep connections and lasting relationships.
Competence: Striving for growth, proficiency, and achievement.
Empowerment: Feeling capable and in control.
Engagement: Craving pleasure, excitement, and full presence in moments.
Esteem: Seeking recognition, distinction, and confidence.
Nurturance: Desiring compassion, support, and appreciation.
Security: Striving for security and relief from worry.
Remember Stabilo Boss and that bank? They spoke to achievement, esteem, and empowerment in their brand messaging, and that struck a chord with their audience.
If your recent campaigns feel like shouting into the void, it’s time for a diagnostic check on the emotional alignment of your brand messaging.
Spotting and bridging those sneaky gaps between your messaging and your customers’ emotional drivers can flip frustration into fulfillment, turn silence into roaring applause, and morph losses into sweet gains.
Here’s the step-by-step guide:
Step-by-Step to Alignment:
Discover the Motivators: Dive deep into customer research, pulling what you can from reviews, testimonials, surveys, feedback, social media, and market research.
Audit Time: Does your current brand message align with these discovered treasures? If not, where are the gaps?
Craft with Care: Develop messages that resonate with the emotional motivators, with authenticity as your compass.
Test, Refine, Repeat: The market is dynamic. Test, refine, and watch your brand resonate and campaigns convert like never before.
But that sounds like a lot of manual work, doesn’t it?
The good news is we can nudge ChatGPT to lend us a hand with Steps 1 and 2.
How cool is that?
ChatGPT Brainstorm
This first prompt is all about identifying the emotional motivators of your customers based on your customer data. We want ChatGPT to be able to show us which emotions are at play. Once you’ve identified your customers’ emotional motivators, the second prompt comes in.
It’s designed to spotlight the emotional triggers within your brand messaging, offer a detailed analysis, an alignment check, and recommendations for improvement.
Prompt 1
Let’s break this prompt down to its key parts:
ChatGPT morphs into a dynamic duo of a data analyst and consumer psychologist, crunching numbers and diving deep into the human psyche.
It will sift through your customer data, spotlighting and ranking the heavyweight emotional motivators, complete with solid justifications for each pick, all neatly packaged in a crisp, insightful report.
To get the full picture, feed ChatGPT a diverse buffet of customer data sources. The broader, the better for a comprehensive understanding of your audience.
You'll then get a treasure trove of insights that are not just valuable but actionable, ready to amplify your brand’s magnetic pull to its audience.
Ready? Let’s plug in some data and let the magic unfold!
ASSISTANT= Act as a seasoned data analyst and consumer psychologist, adept at interpreting qualitative data and identifying underlying emotional motivators. Your insights are sharp and actionable, aiding brand owners in navigating the complex landscape of consumer emotions.
TASK= Read this task step-by-step. It's important! Analyze the provided customer data, and based on the expressions and phrases present, categorize them under the appropriate Core Emotional Motivator listed below. Summarize the findings in a report, highlighting and ranking the dominant emotional motivators, and providing your justifications.
CORE EMOTIONAL MOTIVATORS=
1. **Achievement:** Striving for success and celebrating accomplishments.
2. **Autonomy:** Valuing freedom, individual expression, and personal choices.
3. **Belonging:** Desiring deep connections and lasting relationships.
4. **Competence:** Striving for growth, proficiency, and achievement.
5. **Empowerment:** Feeling capable and in control.
6. **Engagement:** Craving pleasure, excitement, and full presence in moments.
7. **Esteem:** Seeking recognition, distinction, and confidence.
8. **Nurturance:** Desiring compassion, support, and appreciation.
9. **Security:** Striving for security and relief from worry.
CUSTOMER DATA= [INSERT HERE]
FORMAT= Present findings and recommendations in markdown for easy readability. For the Findings section, please follow the exact format of the example provided:
"1. Empowerment
Empowerment emerged as a significant motivator, with customers frequently expressing feelings of confidence, control, and readiness to face challenges when using GlitzNglam products. Products like the Bold Matte Lipstick, Eye Drama Mascara, and Ultimate Coverage Foundation were particularly noted for boosting self-esteem and empowerment."
For our little experiment, I’m using a dummy brand called GlitzNGlam Cosmetics.
Here’s an overview:
I generated ten detailed customer reviews, survey and interview responses, and social media comments.
Here’s what I got for the output:
While dissecting the customer data, ChatGPT unearthed a bit of a surprise: nurturance.
It’s a bit left-field for a brand that’s all about bold glamour, but the data doesn’t lie. Customers are on the hunt for support and care.
But the output serves immediate, actionable insights on a silver platter. It doesn't just report; it enlightens! We receive a clear directive: whip up campaigns that radiate confidence and uniqueness, making every customer feel like the star of the show.
But we’re only halfway through the magic. With the emotional motivators of our customers now in our pocket, it’s time to ensure they’re in sync with GlitzNGlam’s current brand messaging.
Prompt 2
Here’s the lowdown for the second prompt:
We’re setting the stage, prepping and priming your brand messaging for a show-stopping campaign that’s around the corner.
The resident expert, a seasoned brand consultant with a special knack for emotional marketing, dissects your brand messaging and spotlights the emotional triggers embedded within. It then serves a detailed analysis and alignment check with a side of savvy recommendations.
Variety is the spice of life, and the same goes for brand messaging. Toss in a mix, from ads, website and email copy, to product packaging and social media posts for a well-rounded review.
CONTEXT= The brand messaging is under review for upcoming online marketing campaigns. The goal is to ensure the messaging resonates with customers’ emotional motivators, enhancing its appeal and effectiveness in driving engagement and sales. The analysis should consider the customer emotional motivators identified earlier in our discussion to ensure alignment and compelling communication.
ASSISTANT= You are a strategic brand consultant specializing in emotional marketing. With a deep understanding of both brand communication and consumer psychology, you meticulously analyze messaging to discern the emotional motivators it aims to trigger. Your expertise allows you to assess how well these embedded motivators align with the actual emotional drivers of the target customer base, providing valuable insights and actionable recommendations to bridge any gaps and enhance the effectiveness of the brand's communication strategies.
TASK= Review and identify emotional motivators targeted in the provided brand messaging. Compare these with the customer emotional motivators from our earlier discussion, summarizing the alignment and highlighting any gaps. Provide strategic recommendations for improvement based on this analysis.
BRAND MESSAGING= [INSERT HERE]
FORMAT= Present findings and recommendations in markdown for readability, ensuring valuable insights for effective brand messaging alignment with customer emotional motivators.
For GlitzNglam, I cooked up some ad and email marketing copy, whipped together product packaging, and sprinkled in social media posts.
This is what the prompt came up with:
The output takes a deep, meaningful gaze into brand messaging, aligning words with the heartbeat of customer emotions. It shines a light on the unsung heroes - autonomy and competence, serving up practical suggestions.
They might not be front and center in the brand’s playbook, but it’s vibing with the emotional motivators we’ve pinned down.
In less than 30 minutes, we’ve dug up a wealth of emotional insights that can turn the volume up on customer connection.
Not bad, huh?
The Bottom Line
Feeling stuck with your marketing campaigns is frustrating, but understanding and aligning with emotional motivators will have you seeing dollar signs. It’s not just about speaking; it’s about speaking to the hearts, addressing silent desires and fears, and positioning your brand as the hero that understands and fulfills.
Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It
Ready to turn the tide? Embark on a journey of discovery. Identify your customers’ emotional motivators, audit your brand messaging, and see where there are gaps and opportunities with the prompts provided. You just might be surprised. And remember, in the world of ecom, connection is the currency, and understanding your customer’s heart is the treasure.
Happy hunting!
— Gold
PS: For the next issue in my three-part series, we’ll explore the fascinating world of diversifying your brand messaging using the emotional motivators you’ve identified. Exciting times ahead!