Figure 2. The role of subconscious and conscious levels in decision-making [5]
It is for this reason that the majority of successful ad campaigns rely on emotional advertising rather than purely factual product features. They aim to build long-term connections that bring favorable feelings with every interaction with the brand.
Advertising has been elevated nonetheless in recent decades with the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Among marketers surveyed by HubSpot, 64% of the international respondents are using AI already, and the remaining respondents plan on deploying it soon (fig. 3).
Figure 3. Adoption of AI in marketing [6]
This is a whole new mode of interaction between brands and their publics. Previously, marketing was based on mass campaigns aimed at a wide audience, but today they can offer an individual approach that takes into account not only the preferences, but also the mood of the user at the time of interaction.
One of the most powerful trends in this space is employing AI to decipher emotions. New algorithms are able to understand the human condition through analyzing face movements, speech intonations, text messages, and behavior patterns [7]. Companies can personalize communication according to the condition of the client through this to make interactions easier and more convenient. This use is most stressed in customer care. Chatbots and voice assistants are already able to determine message tone and adjust the communication style, accordingly, depending on the emotions of the user.
Emotion analysis is also being used nowadays in the advertisement field. Technology based on AI can pilot-screen marketing content to see what picture, word, and shade of color registers the most level of audience interaction. Not only can it be done for maximizing campaign efficiency, but it can also render marketing more natural and subtle.
Another vital area is the application of AI in personal recommendations. Companies do not merely consider watching or purchasing history but also where and when the user decides. If the system understands that a person listens to relaxing music at night or enjoys high-energy music during the morning, it can suggest music based on their mood. All of which makes brand interactions more human, more personalized, more emotionally charged [8]. Technologies AI are no longer automation tools per se – now they are becoming go-betweens between the brand and the audience, facilitating the illusion of real, human communication.
Thus, personalization and emotional marketing are no longer trends but a new reality where brand success is no longer determined solely by product quality but also by the ability to establish meaningful, trusting, and emotionally engaging relationships with the audience. In this process, AI has a critical role to play as it helps businesses to better understand customer needs and align their strategies in a manner where each touchpoint generates not just interest but an emotional reaction that is genuine.
Chapter 1. Emotions and marketing: the basis of interaction
Modern consumer behavior is increasingly driven by reason no longer, but through the prism of emotional perception. Consumers do not buy products – they choose the experience, associations, and feelings that accompany the brand. In a situation of high competition and similarity in product characteristics, emotions are the decision driver of differentiation. This makes marketing based on them especially important. It not only allows brands to differentiate, but also to form an enduring connection of the audience. Therefore, it is important to talk about why emotions are such a significant part of decision-making and how marketing can capitalize on this process to form a profound connection with customers.
1.1 Why emotions work better than facts
Perception of brands, products, and advertising messages is not always based on rational analysis and logical argumentation. Modern research in neuropsychology and marketing attests that emotions are a decisive factor in consumer behavior, shaping preference and eliciting loyalty [9]. Emotional responses occur prior to a human becoming aware and processing information on a rational level, and therefore emotions are a significant factor in marketing success.
This process is associated with the functioning of the human brain. Information processing begins with arousal of the limbic system, i.e., emotional reactions. Rational processing appears subsequently – once an emotional response has already arisen. Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have demonstrated that observing emotionally affecting ads activates similar regions of the brain as watching an actual occurrence [10]. Thus, information that evokes strong feelings is remembered better and has a stronger influence on consumer behavior.
This effect explains why emotions work better in marketing than facts. Even if a brand offers a product with unique characteristics, consumers do not always appreciate its objective advantages – instead, they rely on strong associations. A clear confirmation of this is a study that showed that 70% of the consumers involved spend twice as much on purchases [11].
Emotions serve not only as a trigger for decision-making but also influence long-term memory of brands and advertising campaigns. Research shows that charged events are retained in consumers’ memory 2—3 times longer than neutral ones. The practical application of this mechanism is reflected in the advertising campaigns of large brands [12]. For example, storytelling adverts connect with people on a more emotional level than regular adverts. Storytelling adverts that touch the heart with empathy, joy, or inspiration make consumers not only remember the brand but also associate it with their personal experience.
This impact is being highly exploited in the advertising industry. The American firm Nielsen conducted a study and confirmed that advertisements that evoke high emotions increase sales by 23% [13]. Moreover, buying behavior is influenced not only by current emotions, but also by those expected in the future. Thus, brands try not only to match the current state of the customer, but also to sell future feelings such as comfort, security, or joy. Fear is one of the most powerful motivators. This emotion encourages action and the search for solutions. In advertising, it can be expressed by emphasizing the negative consequences of inaction, for example, «The offer is valid for only 3 days».
In addition to influencing memory and decision-making, they simplify the cognitive processing of information. According to the concept of «cognitive ease», proposed by Daniel Kahneman, the brain strives to minimize energy expenditure when processing data. In this context, emotionally colored information is perceived more easily and quickly than complex logical arguments (fig. 4).
Figure 4. The concept of cognitive ease
This mechanism becomes evident when choosing between similar products. If one brand evokes an emotional response and the other does not, the consumer is much more likely to choose the first, even if the second objectively surpasses it in features.
Emotions play a central role in marketing strategies, shaping not only consumers’ immediate reactions but also long-term brand attachment. They create strong links which have a longer memory span than raw facts and influence the buyer’s choice substantially. In times of information deluge, such an emotional connection aids companies in differentiating themselves from competitors, attracting audience participation, and motivating action.
Not only do brands attempt to bring consumers certain sensations, but also set people in motion with some style of living experience. They construct