Evolution of Emotional Marketing
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56368/Entrelineas521Keywords:
emotional marketing, advertising campaigns, Plutchik wheel, social media advertisingAbstract
Emotional marketing has evolved since its formal inception in 2001, when it relied on primary emotions in mass media, towards more sophisticated strategies that combine secondary emotions, consumer engagement, and algorithmic personalization in digital media. The objective of this study was to analyze the evolution of emotional marketing by reviewing the most relevant advertising campaigns from 2008 to 2023. A qualitative documentary approach and longitudinal observational design were used to analyze this evolution by examining six emblematic advertising campaigns: Dove “Real Beauty” (2004–2010), Coca-Cola “Open Happiness” (2009), Always “#LikeAGirl” (2014), the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge (2014), Nike “You Can’t Stop Us” (2020), and Dove “Reverse Selfie” (2021). The thematic content analysis is based on Plutchik’s wheel of emotions and emotional marketing models. Three key trends were identified: the evolution from primary emotions (joy, trust, and surprise) to secondary emotions (love, optimism, solidarity, and wonder); the shift in the consumer's role from passive to content creator; and the change from one-way mass media to personalized digital platforms. It is concluded that emotional marketing has reached an unprecedented level of sophistication, but it still needs to confirm its authenticity and commercial strategy, which demands greater consistency and transparency from brands to maintain consumer trust in marketing channels saturated with emotional appeals.
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