Relevance Is Meaningless Without Emotional Resonance 

By Marisa Braun, Sr. Director, Strategy

Understanding the emotions behind shopper behavior is critical to creating truly relevant experiences.

Last month, Memorial Day marked the unofficial start of summer. Like clockwork, in the days leading up to it, I found myself inundated with Memorial Day promotions and messaging. My inbox and social feeds were hit with waves of holiday messaging—from Target to The Home Depot to Sephora and just about every brand in between. Every retailer was vying for my attention. And yet, not a single message stuck. With no planned purchase in mind, I scrolled, deleted, and ignored.  

Ultimately, I didn’t buy a thing. 

This begs the question: How do brands stand out during key shopping moments? Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman, widely known as the father of behavioral science, uncovered through his work that a staggering 90% of our decision-making is driven by emotion—not logic. 

At Saatchi X, we understand the power of emotion in the shopping experience. That’s why we leverage our proprietary Emotional Drivers of Shopping study to craft creative solutions that break through and resonate with shoppers on an emotional level. 

The Emotional Drivers of Shopping are the models we use at Saatchi X to uncover and engage the emotional benefits that drive shopping behavior. Derived from in-depth research conducted with more than 1,500 consumers exploring their motivations for shopping, the favorable conditions that influence purchase behavior, and the standards by which shoppers judge experiences, retailers, and brands, we uncovered eight distinct primary drivers that serve as a strategic foundation for our work. They are: 

Mastery 

• Desire: Acquiring and expressing skills and knowledge.
• Example: Samsung Home Electronics
• Strategic Directive: Instill confidence in making the informed best choice, allowing them to feel empowered and smart. 

Sanctuary 

• Desire: Breaking away from the stress of day-to-day life.
• Example: Dunkin’ At Home campaign
• Strategic Directive: Spotlight how Dunkin’ At Home is a fun and fresh oasis within the dark, serious coffee aisle. 

Sport 

• Desire: Pursuing goal-directed excitement, competition, and achievement.
• Example: Samsung TVs Black Friday promotion
• Strategic Directive: Excite shoppers with amazing Black Friday deals. Assure them they must get these great products now! 

Connection 

• Desire: Developing, maintaining, and deepening relationships.
• Example: Pup-Peroni national retailer activation
• Strategic Directive: Make shoppers feel confident that they are giving their best friend satisfying, meaty, crave-worthy treats that will create a delightful bonding moment. 

Playtime 

• Desire: Engaging in childlike fun, expression, and amusement.
• Example: Frollies new brand introduction
• Strategic Directive: Show shoppers how they can embrace life’s good vibes without compromise and “Free the Fun” with Frollies’ vibrant pops. 

Self-Creation

• Desire: Creating, enhancing, and expressing one’s identity.
• Example: Framebridge retail brand platform evolution
• Strategic Directive: Show shoppers how, for all the moments they wish would never end, Framebridge is there to make them last with a frame as special as what you put in it. 

Dreaming 

• Desire: Exploring possibilities and imagining what could be.
• Example: Tide Power Pods x Captain America
• Strategic Directive: Pair the world’s most powerful clean with the world’s mightiest heroes (joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe) to show shoppers how Tide is the most powerful clean in any universe. 

Security 

• Desire: Maintaining stability and caring for home, self, and family.
• Example: Always Discreet Walmart campaign
• Strategic Directive: Provide peace of mind that Always Discreet and Walmart will deliver protection without compromise. 

It’s no longer enough to simply show up at retail with functional benefits. To truly stand out, brands must tap into the emotional core within the shopping experience, moving beyond fleeting promotions to create a lasting impact and rising above the noise to make long-term connections. 

About The Author 

Marisa Braun is the senior director of strategy at Saatchi X. She is a strategic leader that connects commerce insight and culture with shopper behavior and digital innovation to drive shoppers to take action. With category experience across CPG, food and beverage, entertainment, toys, and more, Marisa delivers insight-driven experiences that excite, resonate, and drive conversion for brands.