Wins vs. losses in brand voice
Are you an optimist or pessimist? Chances are you identified with one personality type more than the other and find that copy that reflects your inner optimist or pessimist really resonates with you.
Why am I bringing this up? While yes, I’d love to know which you identify with, but you can also pit positivity against negativity in your writing and brand’s personality to strengthen your branding and build trust with your community.
In the past I’ve read up on four personality styles that can carry your copy’s emotions: The comedian, the bearer of bad news, the hero/villain, and the feel good friend.
The comedian is humorous (duh), and makes your brand fun and gives life to your customers and is something they want in their life to provide comedy. The bearer of bad news is trying to break it to you gently and make you feel slightly guilty that you’re not friends with the brand and that you’re most definitely missing out.
The hero/villain pits you against something you hate and the brand is the hero and provides you with what you need. The feel good friend is going to affirm your decisions and tell you that you always make good decisions, especially by buying from the specific brand.
These four personalities can convey four strong emotions that drive action from your readers: Affirmation, anger, disgust, and fear. Affirmation or fear are two of the biggest triggers – nice to see you there, FOMO!
By tapping into these strong emotional triggers, you can drive up engagement and conversions. I think the most impactful emotionally-charged copy can be boiled down to two main things: Wins or losses.
Are people going to win something or achieve something by buying from your brand, or are they going to lose something or lose out on an experience if they don’t.
How to use emotional triggers in your marketing:
Examples of wins
Comedian
- Samsung: “QLED doesn’t need to be on to impress with Ambient Mode(™).”
- Truly Hard Seltzer: “This isn’t the sparkling water you grew up drinking…”
- Harry’s: “Did your shave club raise the price? Our German blades have been as low as $2 since day 1.”
Feel good friend
- Nike: “Athletes around the world, what are you going to do to chase your dreams?”
- Apartment List: “Find top apartments in Boulder with less hassle! Apartment List’s personalized search, up-to-date prices, and photos make your apartment search easy.”
- Chewy: “Call us 24/7, we love pets as much as you do!”
- Soma: “Bras for everyone, not just angels. Because you don’t need wings to soar.”
Examples of losses
Bearer of bad news
- Topdeck: “With up to 10% off, we’ve got a trip for you. Explore Europe with Topdeck. The countdown is on! Don’t miss another summer in Europe.”
- Liberty Mutual: “Drivers who switch save an average of $509. Let us see how much we can save you!”
- Candid: “Get high quality orthodontic care for 65% less than braces and in-office alternatives.”
Hero/villain
How fast do you press mute when those JG Wentworth commercials come on where everyone’s screaming how it’s their money and they want it now? Well, they’re playing into the hero/villain persona perfectly. JG Wentworth is the hero getting the money from the villains holding it hostage.
Another example, I ran a search for makeup and saw an ad: “Get the highest-quality products you love, minus the retail markup.”
Whether you’re coming at it from the customer could gain something from your brand or miss out on something by not working with your brand, just make sure that that approach matches your branding and brand’s personality. Have fun with your choice and test out different types of tones within your writing.
