Here's how you can use emotional intelligence to gain insight into consumer behavior.

Emotions are people's inner and mostly unconscious values and the driving force behind decision-making. Recent research (e.g. Damasio/MIT) shows that damage to the emotional system actually hinders people from making any decision. Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize and manage one's own emotional values or those of others. By making emotional values more conscious, the parameters of what drives us or makes us happy become apparent. Reflecting on emotional values is an excellent method in all areas where the "human factor" plays an important role (e.g. marketing, human resources)

Emotions are mainly the cause of people's 'why'. 'i did this because i care about you, or because i dont' We can all agree that emotions are also one of the strongest forces of nature be it love or hatred, it is the complete opposite of logic. Logic is why consumers might use your product but emotional connection keeps them and makes them your indirect marketers. In other to gain insights, you have to ask questions at the right time, what is that question you will like to ask your partner, that makes you aware of their desires... i think we call it 'love language'. The task is find your consumers' segment love language, is it morning texts or late night calls ? with this you can easily influence behaviour.

Emotional intelligence is essentially curiosity about other humans: desire to understand others and to be understood. We should seek first to understand before we seek to be understood - marketers can learn so much more by seeing what their customers care about BEFORE making content.

As a digital marketing expert, I've observed that emotional intelligence significantly shapes the digital landscape by enhancing consumer engagement and brand loyalty. By leveraging EI, marketers can craft more personalized and resonant messages that align with the emotional states and needs of their audience. This empathetic approach not only improves customer satisfaction but also drives meaningful interactions and long-term relationships in the digital realm.

Understanding emotions, commonly known as intelligence (EI) involves being aware of and managing our feelings while also being able to perceive and influence the emotions of others. In the realm of marketing research EI plays a role. It enables individuals to connect with their emotions recognize how these emotions can impact their work and empathize with the feelings of their target audience. This skill allows marketers to interpret signals, in customer feedback or social media interactions pick up on verbal cues in focus group settings and discern emotional tones in conversations. By honing this ability marketers can gain insights into consumer sentiments, towards a product or service leading to impactful marketing campaigns.

I am sure most of us are familiar with the role of a data driven marketing professional. They are the geniuses that birth campaign ideas based on insights and cues, they are strategic rather than spontaneous. cues are like hints into your next move, or statement or campaign idea... Being Observant is a key skill in the field of consumer behaviour and Marcomms. Observing cues is also very important in product development as it relates to market readiness, you need to be able to get the hint that consumers wants this or are ready for this, imagine tiktok was launched before we had phones with camera; sometimes your cues could also from innovation.

Paying attention to signals plays a role, in utilizing emotional intelligence for market research. It involves observing non verbal cues like facial expressions, gestures and voice intonations. These cues provide insights into peoples sentiments and perceptions of a product or brand. For example if someone hesitates while speaking or avoids eye contact it may indicate discomfort or dissatisfaction. Conversely displaying enthusiasm and open body language suggests interest and approval of the topic, at hand. Interpreting these signals can enhance your understanding of consumer emotions. Refine your marketing approaches.

Para observar las señales no es necesario tan solo observar sino, hacer las preguntas adecuadas en los contextos adecuados para encontrar información que nadie ha encontrado antes. Creo que es más relevante que nunca el poder crear mapas que permitan desacrifrar más a nuestros clientes y personas con las que compartimos con el objetivo de conectar y trascender.

In the emotion factor non verbal communication is also plays a main role which included the body language, facial, etc.. provide examples to recognise emotions in consumer context.

Asking a question makes us fool for a moment but not asking at all makes us fool a lifetime. Like 3 years child, curiosity and questioning turn to teach us depending on what is expected. Like example, working in a price sensitive markets, asking questions about the price give a clue on how to price a product or promotional campaign. However asking question, means willing to listening and to listen to someone means caring. So the questioning exercise when done effective and efficiently builds customer relationships.

Me gusta ir por las preguntas provocativas y que NUNCA se han hecho previamente e incluso preguntas con analogías o comparaciones que puedan ayudarnos a tener mejor visión de lo que el encuestado quiere expresar. Una de las preguntas claves es; QUÉ NO ES MI PRODUCTO? QUÉ DEBE MEJORAR INMEDIATAMENTE? QUÉ TENDRÍA QUE PASAR PARA QUE DEJEN DE COMPRARLO INMEDIATAMENTE? etc

Si se escucha y no se interpreta emocional y filosoficamente y se compara con lo que el consumidor dice se quedará solo en un dato. Para hacer que ese dato ¨se mueva¨ se debe indagar en diferentes escenarios y con Re preguntas. Con ello el dato pasa de estático a móvil. Ejemplo; Qué le cambiarías al producto? el empaque ya que es complicado. Ahora vuelves a preguntar lo mismo pero en otro contexto; Este empaque que te resulta complicado, en qué situación puede ser útil o siempre será complicado? La pregunta mueve el contexto y mueve la respuesta para entender otros contextos

It is very important to understand that the market is stiffened by competition and your inability as a brand to connect more deeply with your consumer determines the future of your brand. Empathizing deeply is not sharing happy birthday mails and happy new week on Linkedin, it is how the brand makes them feel. The question you should ask yourself everyday is, how does your brand make your consumers feel ?

La empatía no sólo debe estar ligada al consumo, sino a los intereses, valores y creencias profundas que el consumidor CREA y DEFIENDA con todo. Entender lo ¨no negociable¨ del consumidor nos puede llevar a entender sus deseos profundos y empatizar con lo realmente relevante. El problema es que muchas empresas empatizan con lo superfluo

CUSTOMERS FIRST. ALWAYS. Before you start creating marketing tactics and strategies, you need to understand your customer. Watch the content they watch, understand what they enjoy and what they hate. The best marketers are the ones who would also be customers of the product they are selling - because they truly believe in it THAT much. Through that passion for the product, there is easy empathy and emotional connection you can build with the audience because that audience IS you.

From my research experience till now; Leverage emotional intelligence by analyzing consumer sentiment through social media and reviews, identifying emotional triggers and pain points. Conduct empathy-based interviews and focus groups to deeply understand customer motivations and preferences. Implement AI-driven sentiment analysis tools to continuously monitor emotional trends, enabling proactive adjustments to marketing strategies and product development.