Living in a large city like New York we are faced with cultural and intellectual diversity everyday, particularly if we own our own businesses. Aspects such as language, protocol, education, and religion can be prime considerations for successfully reaching lucrative markets in our own backyard or beyond. But there are other elements that have been emerging in advertising and marketing lately which seem to transcend culture, age, and even desire and they are being strongly and steadily aimed at our society’s emotional I.Q.

It doesn’t necessarily matter what culture an individual stems from. Essentially, the message is that all people have opinions, dreams, and memories that govern how they respond to something at any given moment. Age, personal perceptions, and life experiences probably have more to do with emotional diversity than any other factor. Not a new concept, but one that is having more and more impact as the population ages. Baby boomers are being hit the hardest with nostalgic messages in ads and television commercials. Music and fashion labels from the 60’s, 70’s, and the 80’s are being re-invented by the younger generations and retro every thing is being reworked with a modern twist. There are even emotional intelligence certification programs available. The past is very much with us, but are the emotions and attitudes from these decades the same? Hardly.

Perceptions of image and the emotions that they invoke are very highly personalized and subject to mood. Put a mixed variety of people in a room, ask them to access each other based solely on first impressions, and you’ll most likely get a controversial and perhaps extreme description of each person that varies greatly based on such pre-conceived ideas of image, personality, race, sex, and personal preferences. If we are in an off mood, we respond to certain situations or stimuli in a negative way or if something simply reminds us of an unpleasant memory the response can be the same. Not everyone is going to feel the same way about the same thing at the same time and, knowing this, it really is impossible to please everyone. So how can such a broad reaching subject be translated into business success?

When planning a marketing strategy, considering how certain individuals or groups may respond to a message is a given, but being too general can be a mistake. Apart from the usual demographics, there are many niche markets popping up that are just begging to be catered to. Take, for instance, a growing number of 50-something women starting their lives and careers over again, childless-by-choice couples, the green movement, and so on. Anything considered renegade behavior is emotionally charged. You may be in the middle of a niche market in the making! Knowing how to recognize opportunity early is a valuable plus in any business. So is the knowing when to back away.

Ask yourself this question: What makes people buy a product or service? Is their motivation based on intellect or emotion? Need or want? Consider impulse buying and how retailers set up products right by the check out or how the new merchandise is always placed at the front of the store or department. There is also a strong emerging trend toward buying experiences over material goods, but the rule of thumb is that people will usually buy what they want over what they need. A good example of this is a couple owning a home with two expensive automobiles in the garage, a huge wide-screen TV along with all the latest household gadgets, but no health insurance or a woman owning a hundred pairs of shoes. In reality, however, the emotional basis for most people’s behavior is not a simple equation. It’s a bit more complex than that.

Advertising, in all its mediums, is usually geared to feeding on the populations’ insecurities. Lose weight, wear expensive clothes, have a big house, a glamorous career, etc. and life will be perfect. Emotional buttons get pushed and desire sets in. There are also large segments of individuals that, at the same time, are not influenced by these messages and some who are more logical than emotional in their choices. Being able to communicate with some or ideally all of these types of individuals, particularly at their level, means a more successful, and diverse, business with the ability to grow and evolve with the changing times.

In closing, an important observation to consider is a proven fact that people are more apt to be loyal to a product or service, not necessarily the best mind you, that consistently delivers the same level and quality of experience. The same thought goes for customer service. The most successful sales people deliver positive emotions to their clients along with the sales. Sometimes it’s not even that important what they’re buying. It’s the feeling they get that really counts and that keeps them coming back. Think about places that you frequent and the reasons why. What keeps you coming back for more? What positive feelings do you equate with the product or business? Ask clients what they want and they will more than likely say, first and foremost, a good experience. It’s worth your future success to give it to them.