Blue Ocean Strategy Glossary - Emotional Appeal to Buyers

Emotional Appeal to Buyers

Emotional Appeal to Buyers refers to the emotional utility a buyer receives in the consumption or use of a product or service. Competition tends to converge on one of two possible basis of appeal. Some industries focus principally on price and function largely based on calculations of utility; their appeal is functional. Other industries compete largely on feelings; their appeal is emotional. Yet what many companies fail to see is that the appeal of most products or services is rarely intrinsically one or the other. When companies are willing to challenge the functional/emotional orientation of their industry, they often find new noncustomer insights. For example, if one is in an industry that is largely focused on an emotional basis of appeal, ask: "What are the extras we offer that add to the cost of our product without enhancing functionality? What if we eliminated or reduced these factors, can we create a simpler, functional, lower-priced, lower-cost offering that would dramatically raise buyers' value?" See Six Paths Framework.

Source: Blue Ocean Strategy Glossary - Emotional Appeal to Buyers, Business Strategy Terms at www.blueoceanstrategy.com