Gerald Zaltman, a professor at Harvard Business School, claims that 95 percent of our purchasing decisions stem from subconscious emotional responses.[i] This understanding holds significant implications for school marketers. If your prospective parents are influenced primarily by emotion rather than pure logic, how can you lead your communication and marketing team to limit the logical and elevate the emotional in your quest for increased enrolment enquiries?
The underestimation of emotion in decision-making
Traditionally, the business world has favoured logical appeals over emotional ones. Likewise, school marketers have loaded their campaigns with data, statistics and concrete evidence, believing that logical persuasion is the key to influencing decisions. The spotlight often shines brightly on academic achievements, state-of-the-art facilities and recognised accreditations. It helps to understand the origin of this messaging bias toward logical reasoning.
The historical dismissal of emotions as decision-making tools stems from deep-rooted beliefs about human nature. Going back centuries, thinkers and philosophers, starting notably with Plato, posited that humans are primarily creatures of reason. Emotions, in this worldview, were considered interruptions, disturbances that muddled the clarity of logical thought.[ii] This perspective painted emotions as unreliable, often leading to irrational and impulsive decisions. Hence, for serious matters — like choosing a school — it was believed that parents would naturally rely on logic rather than emotion.
However, recent advancements in neuroscience and psychology have begun to challenge this conventional wisdom. It's emerging that our subconscious emotional responses are not whimsical or arbitrary. Instead, they draw from a sophisticated mental system that processes vast amounts of data with astonishing speed. This system doesn't just rely on immediate stimuli. It's a reservoir of accumulated experiences, memories, cultural influences, and personal values. Every time an emotional response nudges a decision, it's a culmination of countless factors that the conscious mind might overlook or undervalue.
For instance, when parents visit a school, they don't just see the infrastructure or hear about the curriculum. They absorb the ambiance, sense the passion in the teachers, feel the warmth in interactions, and intuitively gauge the school's environment. These emotional impressions often leave a more lasting mark than any brochure or presentation. You have no doubt been told by a parent that your school, “just feels right.”
In addition, societal advancements and shifts in communication paradigms have ushered in an era where stories, personal connections and shared values hold increased sway. With the digital world bringing a deluge of information to our fingertips, the emotional connect becomes a filter, helping people navigate choices and resonate with what truly matters to them.
In the context of school marketing, this revelation is invaluable. It suggests that while data and objective facts are essential, they are just part of the story. To create a holistic appeal, emotional resonance must stand shoulder to shoulder with logical reasoning. Only by acknowledging and harnessing the power of emotions can your school truly engage with your current and prospective parents, creating a bond that goes beyond mere features and statistics.
Societal advancements and shifts in communication paradigms have ushered in an era where stories, personal connections and shared values hold increased sway.
Real-world examples: The power of the subconscious
It is worth a short side trip to consider the Iowa Gambling Task study to understand how the emotional brain is constantly figuring out the probability of success for maximum gain.[iii] Participants were provided with an imaginary budget and tasked with selecting cards from four decks with the goal of maximising their returns. They could draw any cards they wanted. Two of the decks yielded consistent wins, while the other two offered high rewards but with oversized punishments. The logical choice was to avoid the dangerous deck. After about 50 draws, participants began avoiding the riskier decks. Yet, it took them until the 80th draw before they could articulate why. This disparity between action and articulation reinforces the speed of emotional decision-making compared to logical reasoning.
But the experiment was just getting started. Because the participants were hooked up with a device that measured the electrical conductance of their skin, their anxiety levels could also be tracked. After drawing just 10 cards, the participant’s hand got nervous when it reached for a card from the risky decks. Their anxiety detected the risky deck within 10 cards, while logic took 80. Intuition is fast.
In the same way, when choosing a school, parents might feel more drawn to one institution over another, even if they can't immediately articulate why. It could be the warm reception they received during a campus visit, a particular story of student success, or the genuine passion of the faculty they interacted with.
While decision-making science is still emerging, guidelines exist that can be applied to school marketing. For simple products, making a rational appeal is effective, while complex products, like selecting a school, suit an emotive appeal. A 2011 study showed that for a purchase decision with four attributes to consider, conscious decisions outperformed unconscious ones by 15 percent. However, in complex situations with 12 attributes, unconscious choices were 42 percent more accurate. [iv]
Connecting emotion to your school marketing
Given that the majority of our decisions are made subconsciously, one might wonder why our conscious minds don't recognise more of these emotional decisions. The reason is simple: our conscious mind tends to rationalise these choices to maintain the illusion of control.
This insight is vital for school marketing. Instead of solely focusing on rational appeals, such as academic excellence or exceptional facilities, school marketers should also weave in emotional narratives. Case studies showcasing individual student success stories or testimonials from satisfied parents can resonate more deeply than dry statistics.
To be clear, this doesn't mean dismissing the logical aspect, but harnessing these emotions in your school's communication and marketing strategy can set you apart from your competition and create a lasting impact on your audience. Here are some starting points.
1. The power of storytelling: Stories evoke emotions. Think about alumni success stories or a student who overcame challenging circumstances. Sharing these genuine stories taps into the human side of your school and makes it relatable.
Example: A student, originally struggling with English, becomes the school debating captain. This story of resilience and support can resonate with parents looking for an environment that nurtures growth.
2. Visual aesthetics matter: Visual content, from photos to videos, can convey emotions in an instant. Capturing genuine moments of students laughing, learning or engaging in activities can elicit feelings of joy and trust.
Example: A video showcasing a day in the life of a student, capturing genuine laughter and camaraderie, can immediately build a connection with prospective parents.
3. Evocative language: The words we choose matter. Evocative language can paint vivid pictures, enabling prospective families to envision their child's journey at your school.
Example: Instead of simply stating, "Our school has a diverse curriculum," you might say, "Our students dive into a world of knowledge, discovering passions and forging their unique paths."
4. Engage the senses: Events or tours that allow parents and students to experience the school firsthand can be a powerful emotional connector.
Example: Hosting an open day with interactive stations, allowing prospective parents and students to hear the school jazz band, feel the texture of the art materials or taste the canteen's offerings, creates a memorable experience.
5. Feedback and testimonials: Positive experiences shared by current parents and students can instil confidence and trust. It’s a stamp of approval from those experiencing your school's offerings.
Example: A parent speaking about how the school's support system transformed their child's academic journey can be a powerful endorsement.
6. Stay authentic: In the era of digital filters, authenticity stands out. Genuine communication, acknowledging flaws and celebrating small wins can make your institution more relatable.
Example: Sharing a post about a recent hiccup during a school event and how it was handled can showcase transparency and resilience.
7. Action point: Assess your current communication and marketing materials. Where can you infuse more emotion? Consider weaving in authentic stories, impactful visuals and evocative language. Remember, when prospective families feel a connection, they're more likely to engage.
Insight applied
· Emotions, not logic, drive most purchase decisions.
· Genuine stories resonate more than dry statistics.
· Visual content can instantly convey emotions.
· Evocative language paints vivid, relatable pictures.
[i] Mahoney, M. (2003) The Subconscious Mind of the Consumer (And How To Reach It).HBS Working Knowledge. Available at:https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/the-subconscious-mind-of-the-consumer-and-how-to-reach-it
[ii] Damasio, A. (2005) Descartes’ Error: Emotion, Reason and the Human Brain. London:Penguin Books.
[iii] Bechara, A., Damásio, A. R., Damásio, H., Anderson, S. W. (1994) Insensitivity to futureconsequences following damage to human prefrontal cortex, UnitedStates: Cognition, Vol 50(1-3), pp. 7-15.
[iv] Mikels, Joseph A., Maglio, Sam J., Reed, Andrew E., Kaplowitz, LeeJ. (2011) Should I Go WithMy Gut? Investigating the Benefits of Emotion-Focused Decision Making.New York: Emotion, Vol 11(4), pp. 743-53.
Brad Entwistle is the Founding Partner of imageseven. Since 1990, he has led his team on a mission to amplify the impact of schools by working directly with school Heads, tailoring solutions to maximise their communication and marketing effectiveness.
