A TV show about house hunting and three full sets of ads: Just like another day at the office. An international car brand highlighting “love”, a paint brand showing how important it is to show your personality through your home and your walls, and a juice brand saying that life is as simple as their juices – simplicity is the key! Oh my lord, so many emotions in just 3 minutes… And I am still confused about which one I am “buying”!

This flood of information has led me to think it has never been more difficult to engage an audience. Emotional advertising has long been a staple in the industry, and for good reason, but it seems like brands are getting increasingly heavy handed with their efforts. Perhaps this is a trend that is blowing up as a way to offset the ever increasing ubiquity of technology in our everyday lives. That being said, is it possible that the use of this tactic is starting to feel too contrived or forced?

What can we do to differentiate our brand from others?

Here are some useful ideas:

Don’t say it, just do it: Instead of embellishing your product with advantages that would appeal to a fad, ensure that true advantages are highlighted. Then, create your branding and Marketing based on the real advantages.

Think more specific: Try to be more specific with the type of emotions used in your marketing campaigns and avoid traditional conceptions. Displaying feelings such as happiness and sadness are too general. In this case, feelings should be related to specific situations in order to show more detailed emotions. For example, the feeling of drinking a soda that reminds you of your childhood – it is happiness, but at the same time, it is a specific kind of happiness; more nostalgic and sentimental.

Interact with your customers, ask questions and apply changes: The world is full of promises, so before trying to engage your target, try to really get to know them. Observe, study and try, and try again! Consumer behaviour is always changing, therefore, it is your target. Instead of covering products with beautiful stories and fake ad campaigns, you can get to know them and communicate in an honest way to the public. What are your target’s references? What are their ambitions in life? What type of lifestyle do they have? Ask, ask, ask!

Underline the niches: Don’t assume you know your customers and don’t think generically. Niches are not for the outsiders, niches are for ordinary people who have very specific types of hobbies and wishes. Find your niches and promote your products based on them.