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How can Artificial Intelligence unlock the hidden power of emotion in your marketing strategy?

The power of emotion in communication theory dates back to Aristotle. In his rhetorical triangle, the renowned Greek philosopher identified pathos, or emotion, as a fundamental component of effective communication. The triangle also includes logos (logic) and ethos (ethics or credibility). Modern research continues to affirm Aristotle’s insights. For instance, a WARC study found that more than half (54%) of the most successful advertising campaigns used emotion as a key creative strategy. Also, Les Binet and Peter Field have shown that B2B ads leveraging emotional messaging are seven times more effective than those relying solely on rational appeals.

One of the most remarkable advances in artificial intelligence (AI) is its ability to understand and respond to emotional cues. We can provide AI with frameworks that organize emotion, and it can apply them to real marketing scenarios to produce emotionally resonant communication.

Two Frameworks to Organize Emotion

In their Harvard Business Review article, “The New Science of Customer Emotions,” Scott Magids, Alan Zorfas, and Daniel Leemon present a framework of emotional motivators that influence consumer engagement across various categories. AI can apply these emotional motivators to real-world marketing scenarios, producing emotionally resonant communication. For example, AI can generate personalized advertisements that make consumers feel understood or create product descriptions that evoke a sense of belonging. This is possible because AI can recognize emotional cues both within the framework and the specific marketing context.

Upon closer examination, this list of emotional motivators describes the basic human needs we all share. The approach taken in this study reminds me of Marshall Rosenberg’s work in nonviolent communication, which emphasizes understanding the emotions and needs behind all human interactions. Rosenberg’s work offers a more detailed framework for AI to apply to marketing scenarios and produce emotionally resonant communication.

Application to Marketing Copy

To use these frameworks that organize emotion to produce emotionally resonant marketing copy with AI, I applied them to the value proposition. The value proposition describes how a product, service, or event addresses a customer’s specific problem, challenge, or frustration.

Two GPTs

A GPT using the emotional motivators framework in the Harvard Business Review article “The New Science of Customer Emotions” by Scott Magids, Alan Zorfas, and Daniel Leemon.

The GPT takes you through the following process:

1. Message a product, service, or event you want to market.
2. Who is the audience for the communication?
3. What specific problem, challenge, or frustration does your product, service, or event solve for a customer? (value proposition)
4. Which emotional motivator would you like to use in your marketing copy? (based on value proposition)
5. Which marketing framework would you like to use?

The AI then writes a subject line, and six hundred words of marketing copy based on the answers to these questions.

Use GPT

A GPT using the emotions and needs framework from Marshall Rosenberg’s work in nonviolent communiction.

The GPT takes you through the following process:

1. Message a product, service, or event you want to market.
2. Who is the audience for the communication?
3. What specific problem, challenge, or frustration does your product, service, or event solve for a customer? (value proposition)
4. Which feeling would you like to use in your marketing copy? (based on value proposition)
5. Which need would you like to use in your marketing copy? (based on value proposition)
6. Which marketing framework would you like to use?

The AI then writes a subject line, and six hundred words of marketing copy based on the answers to these questions.

Use GPT

Emotion has always been a powerful force in communication, from Aristotle’s identification of pathos to modern research affirming its impact on consumer behavior. By understanding and leveraging emotional motivators, brands can create more engaging and effective marketing campaigns. In a world where consumers are inundated with information, connecting on an emotional level is more important than ever. By harnessing AI’s ability to understand and respond to emotional cues, we can create marketing strategies that not only capture attention but also build lasting relationships. Embracing this fusion of emotion and technology empowers brands to communicate more effectively and ultimately achieve greater success in the marketplace.

I asked ChatGPT to create a Midjourney prompt for an image based on the recorded conversation in this post. ChatGPT responded, “Here’s a Midjourney prompt that captures the essence of our discussion, focusing on emotional recognition, empathy, and adapting tone to human emotions.” Prompt: Cartoon. Imagine an AI interacting with a person, its digital form softly glowing in warm, calming tones as it analyzes and responds to complex human emotions. The AI’s presence should feel supportive and adaptive, reflecting the subtleties of human emotions. Surround the setting with abstract representations of emotions–swirling colors and forms that represent different feelings–flowing harmoniously as the AI carefully interprets them, ensuring a delicate balance between logic and empathy. –ar 4:3 –v 6.1