How to Strengthen Your Brand with a Core Emotion
Description: Learn how powerful branding works by pairing a core message with a core emotion. This article explores how intentional messaging creates emotional connections, using a personal anecdote to illustrate the impact of consistent, emotionally-driven communication that leaves a lasting impression on your audience.
The other day, my Spotify shuffle served up Ozzy Osbourne’s “Gets Me Through.” By the time the song ended, I had an odd but overwhelming urge to listen to Avril Lavigne’s Sk8er Boi.
Weird, right?
At first glance, these two artists couldn’t be more different—Ozzy, the Price of Darkness, and Avril, the pop-punk princess. But here’s the thing: 23 years ago, in 8th grade, I went into a CD store to buy Ozzy’s latest album Down to Earth. While I was there, I also picked up Avril’s debut album Let Go because everyone at school was talking about it.
I spent months listening to both albums back-to-back, and a strange connection formed between these two seemingly unrelated artists. Now, decades later, that association is so strong that I can’t hear one without wanting to hear the other.
That’s how powerful emotional connections can be—and how great messaging works. It’s not just about what you say, but how you make people feel.
The Power of a Core Emotion
When we talk about powerful messaging, we often start with the core message—the single sentence that captures what your company does, who it’s for, and why it matters.
But messaging isn't just about clarity and information; it's also about emotion. A great message doesn't just tell your audience what you offer; it makes them feel something when they engage with you.
This is where the concept of a core emotion comes into play. Just like a core message captures the essence of your idea, the core emotion defines the feeling you want to consistently evoke in your audience. It's the emotional thread that runs through every interaction with your brand.
Alex Hormozi says, “A brand is the deliberate pairing of your product with an outcome that consumers desire.”
A core emotion ensures that this pairing is felt deeply, guiding the emotional outcome your audience experiences when they think about or engage with your product.
Designing Your Core Message and Core Emotion Together
The core message and core emotion work hand-in-hand to create a lasting impact. While the core message delivers the rational clarity of what your company does, the core emotion fuels the gut-level response that makes your message memorable and compelling. It’s about pairing information with feeling.
Here are three steps to help you integrate both:
Define Your Core Emotion: What do you want your audience to feel when they think about your brand or use your product? Is it trust? Excitement? Belonging? Don't take this decision lightly. Spend some time considering the long-term consequences of this emotion being linked to your brand.
Align Your Core Message with the Core Emotion: Once you’ve defined your core emotion, make sure your core message supports and reinforces it. If your core emotion is trust, your messaging should emphasize reliability, safety, and consistency. If it’s excitement, your message should be dynamic and energizing.
Consistency is Key: Just like how I listened to Ozzy and Avril over and over until they became linked in my mind, consistency is crucial. Every time your audience interacts with your brand—whether it’s through a social media post, customer service experience, or product use—the core emotion should be reinforced.
By designing both a core message and a core emotion, you make sure that your audience not only understands your value but feels connected to it on a personal level.
Create intentional associations with emotions
At the heart of effective branding lies the intersection of a core message and a core emotion. One delivers clarity, the other creates a lasting emotional connection. When you pair them intentionally, you give your audience more than just a product—you give them an experience, a feeling they can’t shake, just like how Ozzy and Avril became linked in my mind.
So, as you refine your brand’s messaging, ask yourself: What is my core message, and how do I want people to feel when they engage with my company? The more intentional you are in designing both, the stronger and more memorable your brand will become.
And hey, the next time you think of Ozzy, don’t be surprised if you find yourself humming Sk8er Boi.
Your turn: Comment or reply with any weird or unusual links you have between seeming unrelated things in your life. These are often the result of family traditions or quirks of circumstance.
Suggested Reading
Practical Advice on Clear Communication
Get exclusive tips delivered directly to your inbox twice a month.
Topics include:
How to book, write, and deliver TED-style talks
Clear and consistent messaging
Professional speaking
I’m scrolling through my feed when I see it again: another 'professional' venting about clients expecting top-quality work for pennies—or worse, for free.
“Why don’t clients value our work?!” the post reads. “It’s like they think I should be grateful for exposure! I’ve spent years perfecting my craft, and they still ask me to work for next to nothing!”
I shake my head and start to scroll by, but I just can't let it go. This problem is SO easily solved, and it starts by asking yourself a simple question:
"Is there anyone else in my market doing similar work and getting paid more?"