Interview with Sarah Helmich, Produkt + Markt "Emotions are the anchor to the purchase desires and motives of the target group!"

What is the significance of emotions in the brand context? How can emotions be measured and what are the challenges? Sarah Helmich gives first exciting insights in her webinar at Week of Market Research.

Interview with Sarah Helmich, Produkt + Markt

"Emotions are the anchor to the purchase desires and motives of the target group!"

What is the significance of emotions in the brand context? How can they be measured and what are the challenges? Sarah Helmich gives first exciting insights in her webinar at Week of Market Research.

 

Can emotions be meaningfully collected in quantitative surveys?

Sarah Helmich: This is without question a challenge for the classic question types. The key is our validated image set that reliably measures emotions. With expressive photos, we lead the respondent to an intuitive level. It doesn't matter whether we use the images in a face-to-face situation or in online surveys. As we have found in test studies, the pictures function equally well in both situations as door openers to emotions. This means: measuring emotions and a large sample size do not contradict each other and we get emotional insights on a valid data base.

 

For the psychologists among us: On which emotion model is the instrument based you will present?

Sarah Helmich: It was important to us to use an emotion model that enables a deep and broad analysis of emotional brand charging. Therefore, behind our instrument lies the widely researched scientific model of the emotional circumplex for quantitative emotion research according to Russell and Scherer. In this model, the basic emotions are classified via a two-dimensional assignment and thus form a semantic space of emotions. This is based on the assignment of emotions to the degree of "arousal" on the one hand and "valence" on the other.

 

Emotions are a broad field. Many brands want their brand to be emotionally charged. Can such an emotional charge be measured even if a brand only triggers weak emotions?

Sarah Helmich: Yes, in our tool even in three ways: Via the dimension "arousal", the model also focuses on the emotions that cause rather weak reactions - be they positive or negative. This means that the degree of "arousal" and "valence" also plays a role. Thus, not only the exuberant euphoria is measured, as experienced on a roller coaster ride, but also the "quiet" contentment when sitting by a duck pond. Furthermore, we determine which emotions, in addition to the superficially present ones, also resonate in the feeling for the brand and which perhaps make the decisive difference to the competition. After all, there is not just ONE, but a bouquet of emotions. And thirdly: the decisive strength of our model is that emotions are intuitively determined through images. Even if one only has an indescribable slight gut feeling, the respondent intuitively chooses the appropriate image. You don't have to verbalise it at all. ... and sometimes you can't!

Sign up for WoM session – May 12, at 10h CET, in German:  
"Live erleben: So schnell kommst Du in jeder Befragung an die Emotionen Deiner Zielgruppe"

 

How important is it for a brand to be emotionally charged in the first place? Can a brand also function without emotions?

Sarah Helmich: Emotions are the anchor to the purchase desires and motives of the target group! Emotions create and strengthen the consumer's connection to the brand. The stronger the brand is connected with positive emotions, the better it remains in the memory and the more I want to experience this brand and these positive feelings again. Our new tool shows customers how strong the emotions about their brands are suited to motivate the consumer to buy.

 

You have announced that the participants will also be able to try out your research tool themselves. What will that look like in concrete terms?

Sarah Helmich: Let us surprise you! In any case, we will dive into the world of images and emotions together and experience the interview from the interviewee's point of view. And of course we will also take a look behind the scenes and you will get an impression of the analyses and results. So drop by and let yourself be inspired!

 

I can imagine that consumers themselves often don't know exactly what emotions they associate with a brand. How difficult is it to find out what consumers really feel in surveys?

Sarah Helmich: This is exactly why we rely on intuitive measurement through pictures! The survey is fun and allows respondents to be free from rationalisation and thought carousel. Nothing needs to be justified. I look at faces in photos during the survey and just feel. The pictures "move" intuitively by reflecting the appropriate emotion. This is how we reach the unconscious which remains hidden with verbalised item batteries.

 

Who should not miss your web seminar?

Sarah Helmich: Anyone involved or interested in brand positioning and marketing strategy. We will introduce you to how we identify the emotions about your brand so that you can strengthen exactly these with the right marketing strategy.

 

 

ABOUT

Sarah Helmich holds a degree in psychology and studied at the University of Osnabrück, specializing in industrial and organizational psychology. Even during her studies, she had her first connections with market research and Produkt + Markt through her minor in health sciences. After graduating in 2004, she further deepened these interests in the area of Customer & Consumer Research: As Senior Research Manager, Sarah Helmich specializes in quantitative research as well as mystery shopping, investigating the experience and behavior of individuals. She is particularly interested in the use of images to measure emotions.

 

Interview was originally published in German on marktforschung.de - here

 
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