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Discover each Emotional Element and how your organization can harness it's power to emotionally connect your brand with consumers. Every month a new article will be added that details a different Emotional Element.

NURTURING: An Extremely Persuasive Emotional Desire

If you’ve been following our Emotional Branding articles, you’ve been learning how critical it is to know how your company can make strong emotional connections with consumers and motivate them to buy. Every month, one core human desire is identified and defined so that businesses can improve consumer relationships and increase profits.

This article’s focus is on the human desire to nurture. Nurturing is a natural, almost uncontrollable desire to care for and protect someone or something else. Nurturing causes parents to work harder so their children can have a better life. It motivates people to participate in great causes. It drives people to do heroic acts that save lives. The desire to nurture also compels people to buy products and services that will help them be better nurturers.

Your business may find undiscovered opportunities to connect with consumers who are earnest nurturers. You might be surprised to discover that your business provides consumers some level of nurturing for buying your products and services.

WindowAlert, a local business in Bend, knew that they produced innovative ultraviolet decals that protects wild birds from flying into windows, yet they were not making emotional connections with consumers who nurture wild birds. Their original logo, website and product packages lacked any emotional appeal that might compel nurturers to buy their products. They focused on the ultraviolet technology used in the product rather than the heartfelt desires of bird enthusiasts.

Kinetic Branding discovered that the desire to nurture birds was the most compelling message to present to consumers. This needed to be reflected in the headlines and imagery of every brand communication piece presented to their target audience. Kinetic first redesigned their logo, creating a compelling symbol of care and compassion for birds. Kinetic then redesigned the WindowAlert website, product packaging line, email newsletter, and other communication pieces with clear and consistent brand identity designs. Kinetic used beautiful and colorful wild birds so that bird nurturers could connect to the birds they desire to protect.

The desire to nurture can help many companies connect with consumers. Financial institutions can offer investments that allow parents to nurture their children’s future. Educational products nurture a child’s mind. Environmental products nurture the earth. Assisted living facilities nurture elderly parents. Many products and services can help protect lives, promote a healthy future, and provide some level of growth and wellbeing for someone or something.

The most important thing to understand about the desire to nurture is that consumers don’t want your product to get the credit for being a nurturer. Your product is not the center of attention when communicating to your audience. The consumer wants to be the hero. Everything you communicate to your audience needs to make them feel like a hero for buying your products and services. Mom can be a hero for buying her children a nutritious snack. Dad can be a hero for buying a safe bicycle. Your job is to give people recognition for being a nurturer.

Be sure to check back for our next Emotional Branding column about Discovery.

Paul Ruettgers is the founder and creative director of Kinetic Branding, a branding and marketing agency that creates deep emotional connections between companies and consumers, motivating them to love their brand. paul@kineticbranding.com, www.kineticbranding.com, (541) 550-7272.