#BizTrends: Ann Nurock – It’s time to embrace the transformative power of emotion

Ann Nurock, Cannes forecaster says it is time for brands to move beyond performance marketing to embrace the transformative power of emotion (Image supplied)

Over the past two decades, social media has revolutionised our methods of communication, shifting the focus from brand-building to performance marketing, which prioritises short-term gains.

While performance marketing is essential, it should not come at the expense of brand-building.

This concern was vividly highlighted at last year’s Cannes Lions, where Jon Evans of System One and Adam Morgan of eatbigfish presented some striking statistics.

Among 160,000 ads they tested 50% evoked no emotional response whatsoever. As they pointed out, this is troubling because “emotional ads work—what we feel influences our actions and purchases”.

Furthermore, Adam Morgan stated that emotionally engaging advertisements are significantly more likely to drive profits compared to uninspiring, non-emotional ones.

Notably, dull campaigns require extraordinary financial investment to achieve outcomes that emotional, creative ads can accomplish.

In the UK, this translates to an additional £10m per brand.

Salesmanship and showmanship

This topic was further expanded upon by Sir John Hegarty and Orlando Wood of System One, who emphasised that our advertising focus has shifted too much toward salesmanship—i.e., “I want a sale now”—rather than showmanship.

Salesmanship advertising is important, but it starts and ends with the product and a sale.

Showmanship, on the other hand, involves actors, drama, and dialogue. It builds the memory bank and creates brand preference.

Tyrona Heath of the B2B Institute at LinkedIn stated that when people think of brands, they search their memory before turning to Google or AI.

So, unless we dedicate time to building our memory bank, we risk being left with brands that don’t create lasting memories or emotions.

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A focus on branding building and emotional connections

Some South African brands that have focused heavily on brand building and emotional connections include:

• Castle Lager’s campaigns celebrate unity and national pride, positioning the brand as a symbol of togetherness through shared cultural moments.
• Volkswagen has built strong emotional bonds with South Africans through authentic campaigns, emphasising reliability and connection.
• Nedbank uses emotional advertising to align with its tagline, "See Money Differently," focusing on purpose-driven campaigns highlighting social and economic impact.

This is corroborated by the VML Intelligence Report which states that two-thirds of consumers worldwide desire brands to evoke strong emotional responses.

In an era of burnout, disconnection, and emotional fatigue, 77% of individuals state they “just want to feel something, to feel alive.”

It is time for brands to move beyond performance marketing and embrace the transformative power of emotion.

For more:

• Cannes Lions special section and search
• More info: Google News, Cannes Lions Twitter
• Official site: http://www.canneslions.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

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