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How to Achieve an Emotional Connection in Video

Posted by Kim Moseman on May 27, 2021

One of the lessons that companies have learned in order to thrive amid the uncertainty presented by the pandemic is the value of emotional appeals. Provided you can tie that appeal in with your products or services, your company will reap the benefits of providing an emotional connection between your target audience and you.

For instance, the well-regarded Nike ad titled “You Can’t Stop Us,” released in July 2020, exemplifies this genre. The emotions expressed by these ads can cover a range of experiences as long as they are compatible with the rest of the company’s branding. The triumphant and determined sports imagery used in Nike’s spot played with the brand’s connection to the sporting world, making it a natural fit.

Over 90% of advertisers had taken on new messaging within a month of the first U.S. lockdowns. As we start the return to more normal conditions, we now see the benefits of linking an emotional connection between your company culture, manifesto or products to your audience. Companies of all sizes can learn from the examples of established brands such as Nike.

But emulating any one business too closely may be a mistake, because there is far more than one way to launch an effective, emotional ad campaign. Here are a few other examples you can draw inspiration from:

• Authentic unfiltered content, with executives talking directly to viewers, is a way to demonstrate empathy, with the aforementioned McDonald’s Philippines campaign serving as an example.
• Empowering feel-good materials, including direct tie-ins to charitable work, can attach a brand to a bigger movement instead of attempting a hard sell during difficult times. Cottonelle took this approach with its United Way partnership.
• Ads that match the brand’s overall messaging are ideal. Forbes contributor Daniel Newman praised Oreo’s fun and uplifting “Stay Home. Stay Playful” campaign and “One Team” by Budweiser for acting as extensions of those companies’ existing personalities.

Adjusting video messaging and mediums to meet the needs of your client base will keep marketing departments occupied in the months and years to come. To read about the best practices for brand innovation in the new normal, click here to access our latest ebook.