While emotions often lead, rationality still plays a key role, particularly in categories where consumers weigh cost, quality, and utility. But the key is understanding that rationality often follows emotion, used as a justification post-purchase.

For example, someone might buy a more expensive detergent because they “trust the brand.” That trust is emotional. They may justify it by citing product performance or eco-credentials, but the spark was emotional.
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This is especially relevant for challenger or private-label brands. Without emotional resonance, brands become interchangeable. And when price is the only differentiator, you’re in a race to the bottom.

Shopping can be a source of joy, and positive emotions often lead to higher spending and stronger brand recall. For FMCG brands, tapping into those emotions through brand experiences, sensory triggers, and reward programs can enhance overall customer experience and drive both trial and repeat purchase.

TLC’s FMCG campaigns like “Tasty Journeys” and “Taste of the Holidays” show how experiential promotions tied to shared family summer moments increased basket spend and engagement, all while reinforcing brand equity.

Creating a campaign that delights doesn’t need to be complex. It just needs to feel personal and rewarding - something a price cut rarely achieves.

Another example is Dove’s pioneering “Real Beauty” campaign provides a powerful example of emotion understood as a business driver. By challenging traditional beauty stereotypes and celebrating authenticity, Dove fostered self-esteem and inclusion, and built deep trust with consumers. Featuring real women instead of models and sharing their stories, the campaign grew brand power by 7 points (four times the average for an FMCG brand) and drove up value sales by 5.5% during the period, far beyond target. Not only did it spark global conversations about confidence, it showed how tackling societal values can prompt joy, pride, and loyalty on a massive scale.

This is where emotional bonds become brand assets. When a consumer feels seen, understood, or uplifted by a brand, they aren't just buying a product, they're buying into an identity. Positive emotions such as pride, comfort, joy or nostalgia don't just encourage a first purchase; they build affinity that leads to a second, a third, and eventually, strong loyalty.

And loyalty rooted in emotion is hard to disrupt. Competitors can match your price or mimic your packaging. But they can't replicate how your brand makes someone feel.

Just as positive emotions can fuel loyalty, negative ones can damage it. Feelings like sadness, disgust, or anxiety - if associated with your product - can lead to avoidance and long-term aversion. These associations may stem from poor customer experience, dated branding, or overly transactional campaign mechanics.

Take deep discounting, for example. While it may drive short-term volume, it can also condition consumers to expect deals and devalue the brand over time. This cultivates deal-hunting behaviour, where loyalty is tied to price, not product or purpose. Emotional cues get lost, and the brand relationship becomes purely transactional.

To protect brand equity, marketers need to consider how every promotional mechanic makes the shopper feel. Does it build trust? Create a sense of reward? Or does it signal that the brand's worth is negotiable? Smart campaigns don’t just activate behaviour, they build emotional currency that compounds over time.

Emotion is described as marketing’s “super-weapon,” with emotional engagement proven to make campaigns more memorable and impactful than rational appeals. As Vault MCM notes, in today’s crowded digital space, people buy with their emotions before they justify their decisions with logic, making authentic, emotionally resonant storytelling critical for brands to stand out.

In the FMCG sector, where shelf space is hyper competitive, brand loyalty is waning, and product parity is high - emotion-led advertising and incentives can be a differentiator.

Procter & Gamble’s feminine care brand, Always (Whisper), ran the #LikeAGirl campaign, a powerful demonstration of the transformative potential of emotion-led advertising. By challenging stereotypes and redefining the phrase “like a girl” as one of pride and empowerment, Always (Whisper) created a cultural movement that went beyond the product itself. The campaign sparked global conversation, inspired millions with its message, and repositioned the brand as a champion of confidence and self-worth for young women.

Emotion-led advertising connects the dots between human insight and commercial performance. By understanding the emotional triggers of their target market, brands can tailor their messages to resonate with consumers on a personal level. This personalized approach goes beyond awareness to build deeper relationships, where the brand earns its place not through price, but through resonance, relevance, and reward.

92% of consumers say they want brands to tell stories. Emotional storytelling allows FMCG brands to humanise their campaigns, convey purpose, and connect with values and aspirations.

For FMCG, emotional storytelling is a powerful way to humanise brands and turn everyday purchases into more meaningful connections. Through authentic and relatable narratives, brands can build empathy and trust with their audience - two qualities that drive long-term brand preference.

Coca-Cola’s global “Share a Coke” campaign transformed the iconic logo into individual names, prompting people to search for their own and share bottles with friends and family. This simple act turned a beverage purchase into a moment of joy, nostalgia, and real-world connection - demonstrating how personal, shareable experiences elevate brand loyalty and turn everyday products into meaningful rituals.

When done well, storytelling becomes a commercial asset. It differentiates the brand in cluttered categories, reinforces identity, and gives consumers a reason to return beyond price or promotion. By telling stories that reflect their audience's values, routines, and aspirations, FMCG brands can transcend their functional role and become part of a consumer’s life story.

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In a sector where 90% of new product launches fail within 12 months, connecting emotionally with consumers is no longer a nice-to-have – it’s a must.

Promotions that evoke emotion stick. They shift behaviour. They build loyalty. And they help brands avoid the destructive cycle of endless discounting.

Emotions play a significant part in how individuals perceive, evaluate, and ultimately choose between different options. By understanding and harnessing the power of emotions, brands can create compelling promotional strategies that resonate with consumers on a deep and meaningful level, ultimately driving sales and fostering brand loyalty.