Getting the emotional tone right in 2021

During COVID-19, advertising has frequently sought to show messages of emotional support, but these are less likely to leave people feeling positive than ads that focus on the concrete steps a brand is taking to help with the pandemic or to keep people safe.

Negative emotions are growing

Research by Affectiva has found a trend over the past eight years, across countries and categories, of stronger emotional engagement with ads, but with a bigger increase in negative emotions.

That’s a concern since evidence also suggests that positive emotions are more strongly associated with positive sales effects than are negative emotions.

Key quote

“Effective emotional narratives need light and dark to be compelling, but a positive and relevant resolution with a tangible role for the brand is important in order to reap the rewards of a powerful emotional hook” says Graham Page, Global Managing Director of Media Analytics, Affectiva.

Sourced from WARC