What are emotional triggers?

In general, triggers are considered buttons that, when pressed, have a far more powerful effect. Triggers are implicit, not explicit. They work in the subconscious. This means that a scent can trigger a memory which then creates the emotion of comfort or discomfort. The emotion of comfort, linked to that memory, could lead us to be more open to new experiences and also a more loose attitude which can lead to a buying decision.

„Trigger emotions and increase your sales“ -Levin Vonester 

So yeah, that sounds great but it really sounds too difficult to control.

Partly yes and no. This is why knowing one’s target group is so important. Just asking them about fragrances or colours will not lead to anything. Those patterns are hidden in the implicit, subconscious, system.

System 1 is responsible for emotional and implicit decision-making.

So how can you find out about those triggers? Observing and testing is the way to go. Brands and Brand strategies have to be tested and adjusted constantly.

Well, what are possible triggers?

Well, as I said in the beginning, a trigger can be anything. When we talk about emotional branding, we talk about building a brand that speaks to all senses of the human body. This is smell, sight, hearing, touch and taste.

(Read more in my article “Immersive CX by speaking to the senses on my blog: www.tba-blog.com)

Now that we have differentiated the types of triggers, put them to the test. Try different fragrances in-store and monitor sales and customer satisfaction. Put different coloured items in your store and monitor what happens.

Draw conclusions about what worked and what did not.

Test again and again. Those strategies are a constant work in progress, there is no perfection.