Written by the The Melotti Media Team, checked by Christopher Melotti
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We’re pretty sure you’ve heard of AI marketing already – at this point, who hasn’t?
It’s also worth thinking that all this hype may be well-deserved. After all, AI leverages data, machine learning algorithms as well as a number of other innovative technologies to:
- gain valuable marketing and consumer insights
- optimise advertising campaigns
- automate manual and repetitive marketing tasks
- speed up data collection and analysis
- and more
Everyone’s been going on and on about what AI can DO for marketing – but let us stop for a minute and talk about what it cannot do, and what that means for the marketing industry.
AI Marketing still comes with limitations – and smart marketers understand this.
The ultimate truth: marketing is about connecting with people. And as advanced as AI is right now, it lacks the capacity to emotionally connect with humans.
If anything, this highlights how huge of a role human emotional intelligence (EI or EQ) plays in marketing. Because while AI is fast, efficient and popular, its existence doesn’t mean you should (or could, for that matter) cut the human element out of your marketing game.
Because marketing is, and always will be, about reaching your human customers.
Smart marketers know that genuine connections, and subsequently, significant and organic marketing results, can only be achieved by tapping into human emotions.
So, in this article, we’ll explore the importance of human EQ in marketing and how the emergence and popularity of AI across industries makes EQ more crucial than ever.
What is emotional intelligence?
Emotional Intelligence (EI) or Emotional Quotient (EQ) refers to our ability to recognise, understand and manage our own emotions as well as those of others.
EQ is what allows us to empathise and connect with other people. Not to be cheesy or anything, but this ability is what makes us human.
So, what role does EQ play in marketing?
Because marketing is centred primarily on human connections and responses, emotions play a huge role in creating successful marketing campaigns. This is why marketers with high EQ can:
- generate engaging marketing campaign ideas
- building strong customer relationships
- create memorable human experiences
- think innovatively and creatively
People decide based on their emotions – so the more you tap into this, the stronger people respond to your marketing.
A deep understanding of human emotions allows marketers to create marketing campaigns that truly resonate with their audiences.
That’s because every successful marketing campaign needs to take these into consideration:
- customer pain points
- persuasion
- personalisation
Let’s look at these in detail:
1. You need EQ to address your customers’ pain points
Your customers are constantly looking for someone who understands what they’re going through. They’re not just looking for solutions – they also want to feel that their concerns are acknowledged, addressed and validated.
Marketers should apply EQ to anticipate human pain points and create marketing campaigns that stem from these human emotions.
2. You need EQ to persuade your audience
Rhetoric is another crucial aspect of marketing – and the fastest and most effective way to drive people to act is still by forging strong emotional connections. People react to emotional triggers, and that’s a fact.
Through EQ, marketers can tap into human interests, influence buying decisions and guide them across the entire customer journey.
3. You need EQ to personalise your marketing efforts
Most importantly: tailored marketing.
Because not all customers think and feel the same, marketers need the ability to understand customers’ unique behaviours and use this understanding to design personalised marketing efforts that hit the mark.
In essence, EQ is about trusting your instinct – which is the pitfall of AI because, well, of course, it can’t do that.
While AI marketing uses data collection, data analysis and additional observations to make automated decisions (this is how algorithms are made) – the point of EQ is to create fresh, marketing campaigns that drive emotional decisions and leave a long-lasting impact on specific audiences.
Let’s have a look at some of these successful marketing campaigns:
Think about the “Share A Coke” Campaign.
In this massive campaign, millions of Coke bottles were printed with the 150 most popular names in Australia. Inviting people to share a Coke with them.
Now, why did this work?
Imagine seeing your name or a loved one’s name in a Coke bottle – how excited would you be to get that bottle and give it to them? It doesn’t even matter if that person likes a Coke or not, it’s the thought that counts.
See? The thought that counts – that’s EQ right there!
Next up: Snickers’ “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” Campaign:
This campaign taps into real, relatable human emotions and it worked really well.
Highlighting (and exaggerating) what hunger can do, this series of ads hit human emotions and we all probably remember Snickers because of the iconic tagline. This is a very specific use of humour which falls under EQ – giving this chocolate brand the results they were looking for.
We have a lot more iconic examples we could think of but let’s end this list with Nike’s “Just Do It”.
Who hasn’t heard of this one?!
It’s a creative marketing campaign that prompted stories of motivation, inspiration and more – an emotionally-charged message that worked wonders for Nike as it allowed everyone to resonate with the thought and think about stories of how they took the leap.
Again, a big marketing win powered by emotional intelligence.
How AI makes human EQ more important in marketing
Let’s get this out right off the bat: we’re not saying AI is not good for marketing.
If used well, AI can be a marketing tool that helps you generate insights faster and achieve excellent marketing results.
What we’re trying to highlight here is the fact that as AI becomes more eminent and competitors fully rely on them for marketing, it’s going to result in generic marketing efforts that customers will eventually dismiss as spam.
This is why you need to fire up one more tool from your arsenal and use it alongside AI (if necessary): your emotional intelligence.
To further understand this, let us show you how AI makes human EQ more important in marketing:
1. Yes, AI can generate marketing ideas fast.
BUT you need EQ to personalise these ideas.
Marketing is all about creating memorable experiences.
While AI can come up with ideas by analysing past purchases and browsing histories, you need a deeper understanding of your customers’ preferences, values and emotional states.
This helps you create tailored marketing campaigns that are designed to guide your customers across their journey and allow them to see the point of difference that your brand offers.
2. Yes, AI can get customer insights.
BUT you need EQ to build emotional resonance.
AI is equipped to collect customer data and analyse that data.
However, that data is only helpful if you use EQ to understand what it truly says about your customers. Because your customers are exposed to all sorts of marketing every day, you need to go for something that resonates emotionally and triggers connections.
With EQ, you can build meaningful relationships with customers based on empathy and trust – this will help them constantly connect with your brand on a personal level and encourage buy-in.
3. Yes, AI is an innovative tool.
BUT it is human EQ that supports innovation.
AI does great with finding patterns in data and making predictions based on past behaviour.
However, it’s not always good at predicting how people will behave in new or unexpected situations. This is where you need human EQ.
By understanding customers’ emotional needs and desires, marketers can create innovative new products and services that meet previously unmet needs. As humans, we have the ability to process gaps and come up with solutions. Through EQ, you can also recognise emerging trends and quickly adapt to changes and uncertainties in the market.
4. Yes, AI has a lot of available data.
BUT EQ helps you filter this data for biases and ethical considerations.
AI is only as unbiased as the data it is trained on. This means that AI can perpetuate systemic biases, such as racial or gender bias, if left unchecked.
With emotional intelligence, you can mitigate this by recognising and addressing biases. This will allow you to create more inclusive and empathetic marketing strategies that reflect the needs of your diverse customer base.
In addition, EQ helps marketers navigate ethical dilemmas in a thoughtful and responsible way. By being attuned to the emotional impact of marketing strategies on your customers and society as a whole, you can make more ethical decisions that reflect your brand’s values and support the greater good.
5. Lastly, AI can’t read your customers’ emotions.
BUT through human EQ, you can.
And eventually, it comes down to this: your ability to understand and actually feel your customers’ emotions makes your marketing work.
Because you can tell when your customers are happy or unhappy with their experiences with your brand, it gives you the ability to come up with ideas that speak directly to their needs and desires.
So, whether you’re connecting with customers through social media, launching advertising campaigns or producing videos about your brand, your EQ is still among your best tools.
AI is never a replacement for human EQ
It’s called “artificial” for a reason.
Yes, the two can work hand in hand. But we must never forget that marketing is about humans, emotions and how all these trigger decisions that work best for your brand and your ideal customers.
As technology continues to evolve, emotional intelligence will remain a valuable and essential skill for marketers who want to create impactful and meaningful marketing strategies.
So, at Melotti Media, we specialise in human-to-human marketing
We use human EQ across our marketing strategies, ideas, planning, rhetoric and copywriting to connect with your human audiences and generate demand for your business.
As human marketers, we incorporate human expertise, creativity, strategic planning and genuine empathetic care to support you with marketing ideas that will protect your business amidst the proliferation of spam content.
At Melotti Media, we use EQ to articulate your value by reviewing and creating marketing initiatives as well as launching refreshing advertising campaigns that resonate with your human audiences.
How can Melotti Media help your business achieve success through human-driven marketing?
We understand that you want to get cut through in a competitive market and achieve business success through human-to-human marketing.
However, you may find that you’re time-poor and spread thin or you still have a lot of unanswered questions.
You don’t need to worry.
At Melotti Media, we can assist with all your creative advertising concept ideas while you focus on what matters most to you – growing your business.
Let’s start earning the results your business deserves!
To speak to your trusted message marketers and copywriters, email us at enquire@melottimedia.com.au or phone 1800 663 342.
We can sharpen your words to achieve your goals today!
The Melotti Media Team
Melotti Media | Copywriting & Message Marketing Bureau
www.melottimedia.com.au
