The Rational-Emotional Brand Audit
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n the typical brand audit the task is to 1) identify the critical factors which drive brand choice in your category and 2) determine your brand’s strengths and weaknesses compared to the competition on those critical factors.
However, the Rational-Emotional Brand Audit is a system with a difference. First, we know that emotions constitute a big part of what generates brand loyalty. Our own research shows that emotional dimensions can predict up to 50% of customer loyalty. The problem? Concentrating only on rational factors risks missing a real opportunity to intensify loyalty to your brand. Remember that loyalty isn’t just about delivering benefits but also about making people feel good about you.
The Rational-Emotional Brand Audit includes 40 emotional states in its overall assessment. These, in turn, describe 10 essential emotional areas. To capture these states we use facial imagery which ultimately links these emotional states back to specific aspects of the brand experience. Once you know this, you know better how to layer in the required emotional aspects of your brand in your brand communications.