Brand & Consumer Psychology Masterclass

1. Introduction: I am welcome. My name is Hold Amezcua and I've been working in marketing, research, brand and customer psychology for almost 25 years. Now. A lot of my work deals with how people perceive an experience Brad's and the impact that communication has on them. Environ my second profession that is creative filmmaking and branded entertainment. I also gain valuable insights into how people are influenced by the stories they watch. The goal of this course is to help marketing, branding and communications specialists and those who wish to become one to more effectively handled the process off connecting the right customer insights on the one end with emotionally engaging brand communication on the other end. And that's a very complex process because it requires the channeling off those insights into a powerful brand narrative and then translating that narrative into engaging communication, the main issue that renders brand communication ineffective. And as I should talk about in part, one of this course lies in the brand message, not really being in sync with what matters to people and their lives, and this is caused either by not having gained in understanding off people's really needs and motivations or as it happens so often to really good insights get lost in translation. Another problem that we often see is that the story the brand wants to communicate is told in a way that doesn't really engage, either. It doesn't tell a story at all, or what it wants to say is expressed in a way that sounds too similar to everybody else. We know in the digital age, and we're moving fast into the artificial intelligence age. But technology does not replace creativity, and it certainly doesn't replace a brand experience and tech programmatic Martic whatever is all meaningless if the brand fails to create an emotional connection with the customer, a brand can only touch people emotionally one by knowing they're really emotional needs in their real lives. Two. By offering a very specific and sharply articulated experience theme and three by being able to transport people into a meaningful experience, as I mentioned earlier, after years of working in consumer psychology and branding and then also acquired filmmaking skills and experience, and that includes screenwriting and shooting and editing a story in a visual medium. Now films will any story. In fact, they're made to entertain people and they made to communicate a vision, a certain way off, looking at the world at life at a very specific aspect of our human experience. And the film or story can only accomplish that by one. Understanding the protagonist psychological makeup to by having a specific and sharply articulated angle on the story theme and three by telling the story in a way that transports people into a compelling experience. World, I guess you see what I mean. And that's what this course is about. Offering techniques and approaches that help you string the whole complex process together from developing your protagonist, that is your customer to presenting her with a well told brand story that reflects a specific aspect off the human experience, her experience and thereby addressing her specific needs on Gold's thank you for joining. I feel honored to have you in class. Please do post your comments or questions, and I will respond to all of them. Have fun 2. Why Brands Fail: its first explore why brands find it very challenging to be meaningful and relevant to people's lives. The world keeps changing, and many powerful brands have been losing their appeal and relevance toe once loyal customers. The problem is that many brands struggle to adapt to the emotional aspect of people's changing lives and needs. Let's start with what we call brand experience know where to start. Brand experience is when there's something about the ground that touches me in an emotional way when it elicits specific feelings. Brand experience is when the brand not only plays a functional button emotional role in my life, everything we buy cars, clothes, beauty products. Even so open Inter Geant. They all have a functional role. They all have a job to do, yes, but another very important aspect is how everything that I use should help me realize a better version off myself. Now that is an emotional task, and that is exactly where the power off Brandon comes in. So what brand needs is what we call emotional equity. If it doesn't have that, it's just a damn thing. But a brand is a living creature. It has a unique personality just like you and me. Consider me for a moment. If you know who I am, my personality, how I treat people my sense of humor than our relationship will assume a certain emotional quality. First, you will have certain impressions about they will turn into conscious and subconscious associations, and the whole thing will form a narrative. A story about the thing is that story or elements off that story will actually matter to your own narrative about who you are and who you want to be. So a brand has to command strong associations. It needs a compelling narrative, and it has to make me feel how relevant it is to my personal goals. When I say personal goals, I mean our daily mundane little objectives, because those are the ones that are critical to how I feel about my life about myself. Here's an example. Household cleaner brand, for instance, with strong emotional associations not only helps me to get rid off dirt in my home. No, it activates a powerful story in my mind, as I use it. Actually, scrub away those daily annoyances and irritations in my life, such as a grumpy husband was going through a rough period at work, a five year old who was refusing to have breakfast and, of course, my annoying mother in law. And as a scrub away, I'm removing all these annoyances and irritations, and I feel it is me who is actively restoring my family happiness. No, that is the real job. But Bryant is getting done for because getting rid of dirt any cheap, clean can do. But a brand with a powerful emotional equity actually connects to my story about my life and my name. That is something very powerful, another aspect that brands often struggle with his communication. It's a you've crafted a powerful and appealing brand personality. Then how do you go about communicating to the world? What's the story you're going to tell? How are you going to show your brand personality? And how are you going to make people feel experience they're going to have with your brat? Look at most advertising in any medium. It often smacks off a hard sale Carney Barca style, full of cliches and platitudes that few meaningless, shallow and even thick. And then the brand is caught in a trap. It has to spend all its money and effort on gaining people's attention. And so it starts using influences, a random offering, tactical deals and discover with a focus on pre purchase imposed by completely ignoring the so critical post purchase experience. That's recap. Why do so many brands fail? The main reasons include the brand has no narrative that connects with at least parts off my own life narrative. The brand only has functional meaning. It doesn't know that whenever I complete a functional job, I actually tried to get closer to an emotional goal. And then the brand uses the wrong way to communicate with me. It talks in cliches. It sounds like everyone else in their hats, and it's so obvious that it doesn't even make an effort to tell an interesting story. And then, to me, that's a dad brand no vfx boy are razzle dazzle in the advertising can rescue on emotionally Dead brand in the next episode will explore the human needs we need to pinpoint to help make your brand become emotionally relevant. 3. What People Really Need (is not always what they say they want): theme, this episode will explore the human needs that help make your brand become emotionally more relevant. All human beings have important emotional needs, and here's a secret. Those needs did not change with the launch off the iPhone or the arrival off Amazon on Alabama. What are those needs? Here are a few basic ones. First, we need a sense off belonging because we don't want to get lost from the herd. It's a very basic instinct from the moment we open our eyes to the world. Secondly, I need to feel protected, and I need a sense of stability. Nothing is worse than feeling vulnerable. Andi. I cannot cope with an extended period of stress caused by a sense of instability and uncertainty. That is, for instance, when many of us feel the urge to clean up our rooms and various aspects of our lives. And then I move on to other levels on the needs hierarchy, such as the need to be recognized, admired and so on. But there is another thing. Every morning as I get up, I need to deal with life. I need to fight for success and happiness, and I also need to feel confident about myself and my daily choices, but I can only move on if I have a sense of purpose. A sense of purpose is deeply emotional, and it can reflect a formative need or a representative. Now what does that mean? When something addresses her formative need? It gives me an important positive feeling about myself. For instance, a certain lipstick reminds me off classy French ladies and famous movies, and that makes me feel elegant. Person substance. A representative experience helps me project my desired self image to others. I use another lipstick at a social event, and the appreciating glances from other women who noticed my brand choice make me feel accepted. Its part often elite social circle. And sometimes I have both formative and representative needs in any given category for Brand. It is important to understand if and how it can address formative or representative needs or both, because my ultimate goal has a customer is to realize a better version of myself. I want to feel more handsome or attractive because then I can in fact influence people more effectively. I want to feel more capable, more talented, more skilled, because then I feel that I can outperform other people that I can win, and therefore, not only does it matter what kind of car I drive, it also matters what kind of soap I wash my hands. But it affects every little thing in some areas, more consciously in others. More subconsciously. Now each product has a very practical task to complete, such as Get rid off dirt on my skin or take me from one place to another or make my skin look better. But with so many choices in every single category, a strong brand personality has to give me the feeling that my life is moving in the right direction. The implication is that any brand in any category must create a powerful emotional narrative. But first the brand must go on, understand the specific needs and wants off its target customers. Now, how to identify those on by using what kind of techniques we shall explore in the upcoming part. Two First, a little recap. What are some of the key human needs that brand must address a sense of belonging? An effective brand narrative activates a feeling that I belong to a certain special group, even if that is only a conceptual on imagine group. A sense of protection often created by feeling in control, off a certain aspect of my life and this feeling off control in turn, Norrish iss my sense off stability. Then there are formative and representative needs. The brand has to be clear how it can touch on one or even both. And above all, brand must give me the feeling that I can realize a better, more desirable version off myself. And the emphasis here is on myself. In the next part will explore specific research techniques to uncover people's deep, often subconscious drivers that influence all their decisions. 4. Insights: Consumers' Emotional Frames & Psycho-dynamic Relationships: this'll episode will explore specific research techniques. Toe uncover people steep, often subconscious drivers that influence all their decisions. This is not easy because you can't really ask people directly about their real needs. Most of our drivers on motivations, our subconscious. But they drive our perceptions and feelings or behavior and choices big or small. And that's where consumer psychology comes in. And there are a number of very useful tools we can use and the insights we gain most valuable in helping us create a compelling, sharp and relevant grand narrative. So the first technique I want to talk about his exploring people's visual in metaphoric associations whenever we think off a product or brand on whenever we use it, our mind instantly activates corresponding visual associations and those associations. They indicate how we experience them emotionally, what they actually mean toe our lives. Let's look at the example of household cleaners again. What do people actually see in their minds when thinking about dirt? One person may see the image off dirt, soil, tried sneakers, her 10 year old son lying on the sofa playing a computer game, bright sunlight, Ford's through the window blinds and a glass of orange truce in front of it. Here, the story revolves around the perception off healthy and happy growth off her child, and the dirt he brings into the home feels natural to her because she associates it with his happy childhood. Another person may see the image off underwater murkiness, eerie shapes and shadows, and suddenly the wide open mouth and teeth off a shark zipping by. Now here, the association points to lethal dangers brought about by germs and bacteria. Another example. How do people experience lip balm that office protection to your lips? One person sees the image off a mother holding her child in the sense of protection years. Thea unconditional care that a mother gives her baby to nurture its health and strength to thrive and grow into an adult. Another person seized the image off a soldier with a rifle. Here, the sense of protection is repelling outside danger, like pollution and UV rays. In the analysis, we identify what we call subconscious emotional frames. In the first example, the mother holding her baby refers to a psychological frame off holder or container, and in the second example, the frame is that off force or power. So what is a frame? The frame is a cognitive filter through which I see and interpret things. Exploring people's visual metaphors allows us to identify how people frame their perceptions and how those frames then influence their decisions. You can imagine how those frames are very important in developing powerful brand narrative , which can elicit a specific emotional response in the custom. We also need to look at what psychologists called psychodynamic relationships. Now we have relationships with people in our lives, and we also have important relationships with every single thing in our lives, some of them conscious others. Subconscious Here is a couple of examples. For instance, what is your relationship with the son? Is it a dangerous fireball that burns your skin, destroys your beauty and brings you cancer? Or is it an indispensable source off life that you need in order to stay strong and healthy ? The difference has obvious implications on a skin care product or a son notion. For instance, what's your relationship with your clothes? Are they like a projector that convey your best possible image to others? Show the world that you trained the cool and trustworthy or are they, like your best friend who accompanies you through the day makes if you're protected and safe because it clothes actually conceal what you really think. The answer has implications for the brand narrative off a laundry detergent or a fact con Brad Brands need to be clear about the psychodynamic relationships that I have with all the place that share the stage with the brand and product. This includes the relationships between me and the problem. The problem on product me and the product roll off. The brand is too emotionally harmonize all those relationships. Many brands fail because they only focus on one of those relationships. It sometimes helps to go on. Observe how people behave in their life contexts, Andi their relationships with all the elements that are part of a very specific context on how they use products. According for instance, What is my relationship with the kitchen sink at home? How do I experience the water that helps me clean vegetables and meat? And, most importantly, how do we feel about the food on the plates and cups that I and my family eat and drink from? We can observe how people use a household cleaning product in the kitchen sink area, as opposed to how they use it in the living room for the bathroom, even if the product and its efficacy, these are very similar. The atrial differences 0.2 different emotional experiences, and in this case, they're dependent on these specific relationships that I have with my kitchen sink with my living room floor with my bathroom. Let's recap. How can we pinpoint important emotional drivers and motivations, and especially when most of them are experienced? Subconsciously, we researched people's visual and conceptual met force because they reflect our associative thought processes, and they allow us to discover emotional frames, the lenses and filters through which people see and judge the world. One interesting observation that I've made in many years off researching people on crafting brand communication is that the most powerful, successful brands often own afraid, or they even managed to modify or create a new frame. It makes people think differently about their lives for themselves. We also need to identify psychodynamic relationships with things, because only then can we really understand what the problem is that needs to be solved and how people experience it emotionally. We'll continue with great insights techniques in the next episode, the psychological influence of story on emotional transformation 5. Insights: Impact of People's Own Narratives on Navigating their Lives: Let's look at powerful insights we gain by exploring the psychological impact that story has on people and the emotional experience off transformation. Let's talk about story first. We all know that stories have bean fulfilling an important function off maintaining society by reinforcing a set off common values and culture. Stories are important for the survival of the group on the individual because they strengthen that sense off belonging, which we talked about in Episode three. Stories also create and impart, meaning they help me make sense off life not just on a broad social level, but very much so. On a personal level story, especially dramatic story is fictional, but fiction draws from life. It reflects life, and most importantly, it presents it in a way that makes it much easier for me to understand and learn from The stories I consumed during childhood taught me how to navigate life because they told me how the world spins, how other people feel on that actions have consequences. This intern strengthened my confidence to deal with life people and challenges. Story makes me feel that I can actively control and create certain results. Story makes me feel that I can control the transformation and changes I experience everyday . Now what I mean by transformation life itself is transformation. As living beings, we move, we grow and change with passing off time. In fact, we need to have the ability to change and transform in order to survive. Paradoxes changes frightening because it feels like losing control. But as we realize that we can't avoid it, we try to at least control those changes and transformations in our lives. This applies to all the bigger decisions in our lives, such as getting married, having kids and so on. But it also applies to all those daily smaller decisions such a spying, a brand buying a product we want to transform. But we have to stay in control off that transformation. Now you may ask, why is it that we seek transformation when one of our most fundamental needs is a sense off stability, as we talked about in Episode two, remember the emotional frames and psychodynamic relationships that we then discussed in Episode three? Those relationships in particular, create emotional conflicts that need to be solved, and that is something that successful brands achieve. They give me a feeling off alleviating for even solving some off those emotional conflicts and thereby help me regulate and navigate my life. They do so mostly on a subconscious level, but that's their power. And that's the irresistible emotional equity. Here is a couple of examples. Ah, household tissue brand, for instance, when I, as a housewife, used them to wipe away the orange juice my kids built at the breakfast table. What I do is I wipe away the irritation caused by this little accident, the tension that threatens to harm our family tranquility on this bright new day. That's the important emotional experience of transformation that my household tissue brand provides me with. Or let's take the example off driving an SUV. An SUV is not just about size engine power on off road capabilities for many SUV drivers in China, for instance, it alleviates a serious conflict indeed, some sort of pain that is, the pain off life moving too fast. Fast development has its benefits promising a quick away toe wealth and effluents. But it's also emotionally challenging because it easily destroys the sense of stability off a reliable and predictable life. An SUV and China activates the connotations off a slower, simpler life as many urbanites remember their former rule environment as well as early memories off PLL army jeeps, another symbol off stability on reliability. So the emotional transformation facilitated by an SUV to those drivers is that it really alleviates the pain brought about by breakneck speed, modernization and all that makes story another important and valuable insights technique. It allows us to understand the elements that fuel people's feelings off. Being able to master lives changes because, and to sum up in memories of childhood stories, we see how emotional frames were created and which now shape my perceptions, off product solutions and brand experiences in memories of childhood stories. We understand psychodynamic relationships and why I feel this way or another about protecting my lips and what kind of flip bomb I need. In memories of childhood stories, we understand how we experience transformation, has moved on to learn how we can use and apply our insights to the crafting off a powerful brand narrative 6. Creating a Sharp Thematic Angle for a Compelling Brand Experience: theme, this episode would start applying our insights to the crafting off a powerful brand narrative on brand experience. So what do we have now? At this stage? We have identified our customers emotional frames. They're psychodynamic relationships with critical elements related to category on product and also their own narrative frameworks that we explored via their childhood memories. So with these human insights were now able to create a powerful, unique brand story, and we have to consider two critical dimensions. First, what is the story I want to tell? How do I articulated best? Woodwards and Metaphors are most powerful. What is the visual language we need to use to activate those powerful, subconscious feelings on associations? First, let's define the function of experience, the practical job the brand needs to get done. That needs to be framed carefully because it then lays the foundation for the overall emotional experience. Remember this unknown ocean brand? We talked about Episode two, where we discovered two different emotional frames based on the relationships people have with the sun. One frame was that of a destructive force that I must protect myself against. Now here's a sharp articulation angle to bring this experience to life. Guardian SUN lotion. It feels light on the skin, but it's a forceful, repellent off cancer causing UV race. It coats and insulates every single skin cell from the surface to the epidermis. It looks up and protect the skin's moisture so it doesn't dry out an age prematurely. This way, Guardian not only keeps me protected and safe, but it also maintains my skin's natural hydration and glow. The other emotional frame is that off a source off life, and here the articulation angle is very different. Angel sun lotion. It rolls out an invisible sash across my skin that activates the sands photosynthetic properties, and it filters and supplies oxygen to my skin cells while it specially treated moisture formula. Mutual ises UV rays. My skin cells thrive like young butts with eager energy to grow and unfold. My mesmerizing attractiveness. This is how we nail each sun lotion brands specific articulation angle by using appropriate metaphors and descriptions to activate qi emotional frames. This could be more edgy patterns and forms. There could be more glint ear like a white steel courting to deflect the sun. For the angel brand, there would be light and translucent, like a very thin, silky scarf that you simply don't feel on your skin. It would have more natural accused, like the veins off a leaf to Q Nature's life. Heavens off air, oxygen, hydration. Then we craft the emotional dimension off the grand narrative so that customers can feel the role and meaning off the brand in their lives. Here's an example from a contact lens brand for which we created different narratives determined You own the precision off life here on the vision of life. And so I placed my hands into your care for you to lead me forward. You re invigorate my eyes, and a clear and fresh world unfurls in front of me. My goals appear in sharp focus. I can see a clear direction. I know where I'm going. I even know the measure off effort it takes to reach. I saw up high, looking onto each single target along my route. My path merges with my dreams because my eyes and vision are an implacable force. You give me clarity. Anything is possible on my journey off life. The future is clear in this brand narrative. The emotional frame is that off, having a sense off direction off where I'm going. It is not just about seeing clearly. It's about seeing my direction and that with this brand, I have the feeling that I'm not going to take a wrong turn in life. Smoke and mirrors tend to rule the world, Yet I insist on being really. My clarity is my only embellishment. That's my approach to people. That's what I share. Be yourself in natural high definition. Strengthen my clarity, keeping my highs envision Klay and hydrated. Always alive. I'm soothed and invigorated as my eyes draw from the source of life. Only with clear vision on who I am cannot be my real self and allow those whole who care about me to gain access to who I really am. Clarity is only real when shared thistles My world as I see it, feel it, live it because I am who I am. This narrative addresses a different emotional frame also about seeing clearly, but here the frame is that off authenticity. It gives me a feeling that my life is authentic, that I do not live in a fake and shallow world. We must always remember it's not just about the functional performance and benefit off a product, but it's about a brand helping me navigate life, helping me solve my daily conflicts and challenges. Because then the brand will indeed give me the feeling that it's helping me realize a better preferred version off myself. So when you craft a sharp brand narrative, it is your job to create exactly this sort of visceral experience. Let's quickly summarized key ingredients required for this. We need to apply psychological insights to address people's key emotional needs. With those we pin down critical of brand experience angles, we use appropriate metaphoric visual and experiential articulations, and all that applies to both functional and emotional dimensions. In the next episode, let's first consider another important aspect off brand communication that is. Three Yusof a celebrity or influencer and what that actually means for the Bryans emotional experience 7. Protecting Brand Narrative Consistency in the Celeb & Influencer Age: in this episode, we look at what many Brian's do these days that is using a celebrity or influences. Now. What does this mean for the brand's emotional experience? These are important questions. Because celebrities or influences are tricky business for brand. They can generate a phenomenal short term sales effect as their fans may want a piece off their fantasy lives. And this applies in particular to entertainment stars. And that's the potential problem, because in celebrity driven communication, people aspire Mawr to the fantasy lives off the celebrity rather than the brand experience itself. For some brands, this may work well. That is, when they tie themselves to one person for a long period of time, then celebrity and brand personality blend, and together they represent one and the same experience. In the real world, however, things are not that easy these days. Celebrity turnover is very high, and most of them work for several brands, some even for dozens. Consumers are getting increasingly cynical about their brand and product recommendations to this, that if a superstar falls from grace, then the ruthless limelight or public opinion will shine upon the real purpose off their stylized careers, which is trying to make a much money as possible. So nobody is it hard for Brand to establish its own independent appeal. It takes on a serious emotional equity risk, and that is that of being perceived just as fake and shallow as people they pay to support the BRAC. Having said that, there are smarter ways of using celebrity to a brand's advantage. Apple, for instance, featured Einstein, Edison and Gandhi, among others in there. Think Different campaign. Those people didn't use Apple computers in their own lifetimes, of course, but they represented a personality theme that reflected Apple's core emotional theme and personality and that is daring to think different, daring to see the world in different ways and thereby accomplishing great things. Those celebrities believes. Merged with brand spirit on activated a very specific brand experience, and it works pretty well. Or look at brands today such as Nike or Adidas, who tend to use a large portfolio off men and women who excel in different sports and who are celebrities in their own right. But when they represent Nike or Adidas, very specific spirit and value blends and forms and experience that is off core importance to the brand on off course to their customers lives. And then it works because the brand conveys its own emotional equity, and it touches consumer in a way that matters to their own lives. On it comes across as authentic and honest, so we need to remind ourselves of two things when it comes to using celebrities or influences. One is what psychologists call the celebrity worship syndrome common across different social segments, especially younger ones, but often short lived. Now when people buy a brand because of the person who represents it, and clearly the motivation is not the brand itself. The other element that we need to remember is that many people actually do not identify themselves with influences on then there is no emotional brand appeal, and the decision to purchase or not purchase a brand is then reduced to the typical pre purchase imports, such as getting a discount or a good deal on. There is no relevance whatsoever to their own life experience. So the best way to use a celebrity or influence and the one that creates the highest long term value, is to have them service your brands. Emotional equity celebrity should tell the brand story conveyed experience people will have with the brand to make them feel that you're helping them navigate and master their lives. Now. How to accomplish that in creative ways When it comes to customer touch point communication , we shall explore in upcoming Part three, The next section will develop a creative brand story for touch point communication and will use the most powerful form of persuasion that is entertaining storytelling. 8. Creating an Irresistible Story for an Irresistible Brand Experience: Theo. This part will explore how creatively told grand story not only entertains but engages emotionally. Lux Radio Theater went on air in the 19 thirties, said North America and then on to television in the 19 fifties. On the terms, soap operas was coined at a time, and it was an early and very successful example of what we called branded entertainment. Today, I don't know how many 1,000,000 American housewives and quite a few of the hospitals traveled off into fantasy worlds and away from the drab and tough realities, and then became quite loyal luck soap customers because the brand experience had merged with the emotional experience off the stories they listen to. Now that's a very powerful effect. As we explored in Episode three, Story touches us deeply and emotionally, and it persuades, and that's why story stays in the mind with all its subliminal message elements. Promotional communication such as advertising It's not the same as narrative communication . Psychological and persuasive detects are vastly different. Promotional communication is a form of rhetoric that invites debate and contact mats that are perceived by audiences to explicitly promote France for products parade pushback that is very hard to overcome. That's why so many ads failed to persuade or impact a brand's market performance, even if they carry a message that is relevant or peeling. It is. The former was to communication via dramatic. Entertainment, however, engages audiences by offering a compelling emotional experience. It is a format that commands high, persuasive powers. Psychologists call this narrative transportation, meaning that the audience becomes completely immersed in the story's fictional world. A narrative transportation is one of the highest forms off persuasion as we follow the protagonist through a story experience. Our perceptions on believes begin to merge with hers because we empathize with her situation and with her choices. And what's more important, that fictional world is perceived by our subconscious mind as reality and the effect lingers even when we then return to the really real world, the emotional impact stays, and that's how story at a subconscious level can actually change beliefs. Now that is the powerful mechanism that makes people feel how meaningful and relevant the integrated brand is to their own lives. Out. US dramatic storytelling achieve this here a couple of reasons story deals with conflict that is, the conflict inherent in every dramatic story makes important needs inside shout out for help. In other words, story viscerally activates emotional needs in the audience, and then anticipation takes over. What's the solution gonna be? I need to find out. Secondly, Story tells a human experience. The message becomes relatable and with a strong feel of relevance. Another point. This story is about transformation. Remember Episode three, where we discuss the fundamental human need for transformation. The protagonist always undergoes transformation, sometimes physical, always emotional and especially by the time she reaches her goal. And that enhances my need for a similar transformation and within my own life context. Now branded entertainment in the form of a dramatic story is not designed to be experienced as an explicitly promotional message. The story has to engage me. It has to establish an emotional relationship that's the most important protective. How about the brands role and experience? Within that story, the brand must not appear in a thinly veiled or disingenuous advertising fresh. It must be carefully woven into the protagonist journey and appear at key plot points. And because the brand is part off the protagonist slice off life experience, that's how we will then feel the brands role and relevance to our own lives. Now let's recap. Brand entertainment touches hearts because the story makes us care. Story has a psychological shadow effect that allows us to love the hero, hate the villain, empathize with the situation and feel empowered by the choices the protagonist makes. Branded entertainment Secret Weapon for Persuasion is called narrative transportation. It is so powerful it changes people's belief. Systems story activates our emotional needs, creating a sense of urgency in us to go and satisfy those needs. One more thing. In today's highly fragmented media world, it is very difficult to get through to people to convince them that whatever you have to say is worth the time. Dramatic story, however, is one of the most appealing things that people, no matter what they do or where they are awaiting to make time for. So in the next episode, let's see how we go about actually developing an entertaining brand story that really engages people 9. Deploying the "Emotional Pull" Power of Dramatic Brand Storytelling: In this episode, we'll discuss the composition of and creative elements that make a story impactful and would actually create a story idea for one of the previously discussed brand narrative examples. Now let's translate our sharply articulated brand narrative into entertaining touch point communication. We want to make your customers feel how the brand actually matters to their lives on the best format, for this is branded dramatic entertainment. As we discussed earlier, we need a story now that engages. We need a story that people really want to go and watch. Successful branded entertainment usually comes in the form of a short movie or serialized drama, and where the film itself or individual episodes are anything between four and 10 minutes in length. Now do we actually construct a story that is meant to entertain? Here's an example off how to start brainstorming various ideas. Once upon a time, there was a every day she would. But then one day the following happened, so she had to and then until, in the end, she. Actually, this approach stems from the so called Hero's Journey, a universal story experience model researched and developed by anthropologists Joseph Campbell and which is being used by screenwriters and novelists throughout the world because at a very deep level it reflects what life is all about. And here are a few selected components off its structural arc, which we can use The inciting incident, a small event that disrupts the protagonists president world and which forces her to become an active hero. It introduces the story conflict on the steaks, which are important to make the whole thing sound. Convincing. The protagonist has to act. And then there is the strategic placement off tests. The protagonist proves her mettle by overcoming challenges, satisfying emotion experience has never achieved by a smooth, uneventful ride. We need obstacles, and eventually the protagonist will achieve her goal. And when she does, we feel that she has undergone some sort of transformation. Usually, she'll have learned something that sharpens her view on things and the psychological effect off that engaging story. It transfers the feeling onto us. We now have the new insight and you know what? Subconsciously we feel that the brand played an important role in giving me the transformative inside, and that is the experience, the emotional experience the brand now owns. Now let's go back to the Sun Lotion Brand example, for which we created two different brand narrative articulations. When is the guardian's on notion, which frames the sun as a dangerous force? And here I need a force to a protective force that helps me repel the danger. Or the Angel Sun Lotion, which frames the sun as a source off life here. A need conversion into a resource that keeps me alive and thriving, the emotional frames and other psychological inside elements that drive the brand narrative . Also essential in guiding inspiration and our brainstorming efforts for inappropriate story . At the same time, we need to be creative in terms off who, when, where and what that is character setting time and key events that make for compelling story . He is one of many possible story ideas were in the future. A young female in Vine mental scientist. Let's call her Jane, who's in charge of developing measures to deal with climate warming, travels towards the sun for some important research. She's traveling alone, and suddenly her small spaceship malfunctions and she crash lands on a small planet halfway towards the sun. It's a rocky, dusty planet, no rivers or lakes. And there's no vegetation apart from huge, drooling carnivorous plants big enough to swallow the huge desert animals. And those plants can fly close to the ground very fast to go after their prey. Now, while trying to fix her spaceship, Jane has to fight off those aggressive plots. They turn out to be intelligent creatures and used increasingly ingenious ways to get at her. Jane can feel how our skin is drying out rapidly, with the enormous heat, a lack of humidity and with very limited onboard water reserves. She knows she cannot stay for much longer. But then she manages to trap defeat. One off those animal eat applies, and Jane extracts its plant fluid. A somewhat viscous liquid, which had tests show contains molecules she's never heard off. A drop Ford's onto the dried out skin off her hand, and suddenly the dehydration, wrinkles disappear and healthy glow shows syrups her whole body in the fluid, Sensing how it restores her skin and overall feel of energy, the story doesn't finish here, of course, and now it can take various dramatic directions. There certainly is further challenges and dangerous as Jane experiments with it and discover sits ability to turn the sun's UV rays into protective hydration. She returns to Earth to introduce it to mankind. But then formula gets stolen on her lap destroyed. Maybe somebody doesn't want the human race to survive climate change. This can be a mystery story or a thriller or whatever. And, of course it can be an entirely different story is set in the present in our daily lives. The point is it must activate our key emotional frames and in this case, either force or source off life or maybe even both. Now, another important question is what is the role of the brand in the story? Here are some key guidelines The brand is not the hero off the story. The hero is always a human protagonist, someone I can protect myself upon while watching the story. The brand is not a magic one that solves the story problem. The protagonist always actively overcomes challenges and reaches golds by herself. Otherwise, there's no feeling off personal relevance. Remember a story subconscious shadow effect, which makes us want to take the heroes choices, this reference for our own lives, and we must integrate the brand organically into the plot. The brand has an important role in the life and experience off the protagonist. It shouldn't feel fake and contrived, because then audiences will feel you're dishonest. He is the best way to integrate the brand into the story. It should appear at key plot points, and it could be as early as the inciting incident, which in our story example would be the crash landing on the deserted planet. Other plus points are important twists or discoveries that throw the story into a new direction in our scifi example. It would, for instance, be Jane's discovery that the plant fluid hydrates and protects the skin. And then the brand takes an important part in the final resolution, together with a protagonist on, ideally in an interesting or unexpected way. And we must always band mind with Brand by its role in the story has to craft and convey the emotional frame that carries the brand narrative because after the story finishes, the audience has to be left with visceral sense feeling off that emotional frame, and then you want them to go and tell their friends to watch that great story. So in the next episode, let's explore the cross media marketing opportunities of your story to make people actually want to give you the time to watch it and into your compelling brand world. 10. Growing Your Fans and loyal Customers via the Brand's ‘Must See’ Story: This'll final episode We're looking at some of the marketing opportunities for your brand story to make people go and watch it on begin flu Inspired. As we observed earlier in today's highly prevented media world, it's very difficult to persuade people that what you have to say is work that time. So what can we do? Remember what the great Stanley's used to be? Embarrassed early nous career off just being a comic book artist off just providing entertainment to people. Then you realized that without entertainment, many people wouldn't be able to handle life that go off the deep end. People are always drawn to the promise off entertainment, and that's what you will be providing if you use the form off dramatic storytelling for your brand communication on entertaining experience. So how do we get people interested in your brand story many cross media options to tease people to come and watch? But we have to be unique and interesting to really stand out. First, we can create a teaser. We all remember that 22nd teaser we once saw that made us feel. I've really got to go and watch that story. An effective teaser introduces the main conflict. What is unique about the protagonist and how she's planning to overcome it. So it should include the following elements. A teacher should give us just one reason to care about the protagonist and problem. It should make us want to find out if she overcome that problem and include a plot point where the brand plays a role but without any commercial message. Brand isn't integral part. What's happened? The teaser has to make us care about the protagonist historian challenges. Only then will we go on. Watch it. There are also other teas of forms for story based brand entertainment. For instance, take a specific scene in which something compelling, interesting or funny happens and which ends on a cliffhanger. It works just like a teaser, but focuses on one specific emotional moment, and people want to go and find out what led to it on what comes after it. And then they are what we call throwaway lines, some pieces off dialogue or certain lines dished up by the protagonist or any other character on whatever but offering a very strong point off you or angle. We find that in many markets from China, to the U. S. Movie audiences tend to be deeply impacted by somebody's cool lines on which then even enter the pilots off popular culture. When I developed a Web series on the Chinese social phenomenon off Left Over Women a few years ago, we developed instant messengers, stickers off the protagonist and some of her memorable lines. The story was about a woman finding the courage and strength to say no to certain conventions on DSO. We chose some of her lines and posers that conveyed her emancipated attitude and which could be used in daily texting conversation. Then don't forget about Billboard's traditional on digital advertising like a movie making an important launch event making feel special had a sort of limited field to its premiere before the communication, then spreads our toe other channels and think about who can help market the story and how. Remember we talked about the wrists off using celebrities on influences when representing your brand experience. Now you've created a powerful than engaging story. This is an excellent opportunity to make those celebrities influences really serve your brand by telling all their fans and followers to go on watch it that it's one of the best stories they've seen in a long time. This way they'll spread of brand experience that you have crafted and that you stay in control off. You want them to be seen as fans of your story and notice somebody who's being paid for seven products. It makes a huge emotional difference to people the way they think and talk about your brand . You can still ask the celebrity to talk about your products and specific use experiences later. Then let's not forget about riel items and even merchandising. Even in today's digital age, old school merchandising approaches combined them with social media communication, a very effective in creating anticipation on conveying an experience that has to be done in a unique way, though that is combined riel things, real items with technological innovations such as augmented reality video pieces or telekinetic events, and so on. The thing is, when people can touch and feel really thing a re alighted from the story, it feels authentic. The brand experience comes across as more authentic, so never underestimate the power of the tactile, especially in today's cyberworld. The goal is, of course, to drive traffic to the website where people then watch the field, but where they can also download other peripheral elements from the story. For one, of course, getting coupons for online orders and where the protagonist can serve as a kind of virtual guide, but also maybe, where they can download the recipe for a dish she cooked for a boyfriend in the story or tips on her hairstyle. In that story, things that are relatable that are part of the experience and which part of the whole Brandon experience. There are many possibilities off marketing your story online and offline. The point is that you're not coming across as pushing your product or service one to the customer, but inviting the customer to enter an engaging and entertaining world on just for a few minutes. There are chances that people are willing to do that no matter how busy they are. We tend to spend two or more hours per day on social media and much of that time without much purpose. So the time is there, actually, but you don't attract people with a commercial message, and then your story will make the desired impact because it was designed around the emotional brand experience in the first place. It's your creation based on powerful psychological insights, well articulated brand narrative and all that packaged in an entertaining and engaging story. I think so. Watching. I'm sure this has inspired you and sharpen your skills in crafting a brand experience that will give people a visceral feeling off how important relevant that brand is to their lives . Feel free to post your feedback or ask any questions. I will definitely respond. Thank you.