With the average person experiencing over 5000 brand messages in just one day, it’s no surprise that businesses are finding it hard to stand out and be seen by their ideal customers.
As customers, we don’t have time to process this volume of information thoroughly. Instead, we often rely on feelings, thoughts, and emotions as cues to alert us to pay attention or walk away.
Could taking the time to understand what your dream customers are feeling help you stand out?
At Northumberland Design Co we champion a mindful, authentic approach to design and marketing. Focussing on emotions is always part of our client research. Not surprisingly the three questions that are often the most insightful in our research are:
01How does your client feel before they find your business?
02How do you hope your customer will feel whilst they are experiencing your business?
03
How do you hope that your customer will feel after they experience your business?
How can this help my brand stand out?
From a design point of view, understanding the emotional cues of your target audience gives an incredible insight into how your business should look and communicate at every touch point of your client journey.
From brand colours, textures, fonts, patterns and layout to tone of voice, photography style and messaging, every element can be carefully designed to help your customer feel understood.
Does this matter to every business?
In a nutshell… Yes.
Whether you sell tasty fish and chips or run a luxury perfumery, customers like to feel understood. Understanding builds trust and trust builds confidence in your business. When people feel confident in your business, they’ll choose you time and time again.
It’s time to challenge the myths that have deprioritised the role of emotion and start to use them as a valuable tool to guide your brand.
Do you know how your clients feel?
And does this reflect in your design and marketing?
Heather Maloney
Founder and Designer at Northumberland Design
