Evoking Emotions for Consumer Engagement

“When you work as a copywriter at a real estate company, your boss assigns you to write promotional copy for a newly launched small housing unit targeted towards young people. After referencing several magazines, you crafted a central slogan: ‘A home means everything,’ believing it to be strong and presented it to your boss. However, the boss expressed dissatisfaction, seeing an issue with this copy. What should you do?

To resolve this issue, it’s crucial to understand its essence. Copy is not merely text, a picture, or a video; it should evoke strong emotions in consumers, compelling them to purchase or spread the word about your product. The core problem here lies in the fact that the given copy fails to evoke strong emotions in consumers.

Solution: BFD Principle

So, how do you evoke strong emotions in consumers? Renowned copywriting expert Michael Masterson suggests starting from three “core emotions” in people: Beliefs, Feelings, and Desires (BFD). Let’s explore these aspects one by one.

First, Beliefs.

What are “Beliefs”? Beliefs refer to what consumers strongly believe in. If you can express their beliefs more accurately and powerfully than they can, it triggers a resonance like, ‘Wow, you also feel that way.’

For instance, Nike’s “Just Do It”:

“Throughout your life, people doubt your abilities, devalue your worth; they say you’re not exceptional, not strong enough, not talented. They even believe your height, weight, and physique aren’t good enough and that you won’t amount to anything. They keep saying you can’t! In many moments of your life, they are eager to express your incompetence, unless you personally prove them wrong! NIKE, JUST DO IT.”

“Just Do It” conveys how many young people believe in ‘never giving up.’

Another example, Adidas’ “Unfortunately, that’s me”:

They say: “Too flashy,” “Too wild,” “Too brazen,” “Too flamboyant,” “Too fake,” “Too quick,” “Too dull,” “Too feminine,” “Too masculine,” “Too perfect,” “Too childish,” “Too fanatic,” “Too lazy,” “Too weird,” “Too late”…

Seeing this, many young people resonate: Aren’t these the things people who don’t like them often say? At this point, the copy shifts its tone:

“Unfortunately, that’s me.”

Simple yet powerful, it helps young people counter those who don’t identify with them, expressing how many young people ‘live for themselves.’

Second, Feelings.

What are “Feelings”? Feelings refer to consumers’ emotional experiences. If the internet had a gender, it would undoubtedly be feminine. Expression based on emotions and feelings is more impactful than rational expression. For example, describing the charm of food in a thousand words doesn’t match up to a phrase like “mother’s taste.”

Once, a blind person placed a sign on the street saying:

“I’m a blind person, seeking help.”

However, not many people helped. Later, a woman passing by slightly modified the wording on the sign, significantly increasing the number of passersby offering money. This woman wrote:

“Today is such a beautiful day, but sadly, I can’t see it.”

Both sentences convey the same message, but the woman’s second sentence placed passersby in the “emotions and feelings” of the blind person, eliciting resonance.

Expressing emotions rather than reasoning is the best approach.

Third, Desires.

What are “Desires”? Desires refer to what consumers deeply crave.

A piano school promoting its courses: although parents send their children to various classes, what is their deepest desire? Is it merely to learn to play the piano or violin well? Perhaps not. A 90s Taiwanese piano school eventually settled on the slogan:

“Children learning piano won’t turn bad.”

This seemingly unrelated copy about pianos touched many. Perhaps, that’s what parents truly desire.

Application:

So, what should you do?

Consider young homebuyers, what do they truly desire? Is it really ‘everything’? A certain real estate company once wrote this copy:

“Don’t let this city only preserve your youth but fail to retain you.”

Many young people resonated strongly with this phrase. Perhaps ‘the most basic sense of security’ is what young people truly desire.

And for an improved home for a family of three? A certain real estate company expressed it as:

“House prices might wait, but a child’s childhood cannot.”

Finally, let’s summarize. Copy can be text, an image, or a video, aiming to evoke strong emotions in consumers, prompting them to purchase or share products. Good copy is salesmanship behind a keyboard. How do you create good copy? 1) Responding to consumer beliefs; 2) Evoking consumer emotional resonance; 3) Fulfilling consumer inner desires.”