Cheat Code #2

Chris Askew / Marketing

/ Founder

Space Invaders Arcade Game

Cheat Code #2 - Marketing that is emotional becomes memorable.

Space Invaders.

It was one of the first video games I have ever had. I remember many nights of staying up late with the dull glow of the TV lighting my room and the sounds of four-note looping baseline in my head as I played Space Invaders over and over until my mom would get mad, come in the room and take my controller.

100 Yen Coin

Space Invaders is one of the largest commercial successes for gaming.

It STILL has one of the highest revenues of all video games coming in at an out of this world $13.93 Billion as of 2016.

The game was so popular that it sparked a nationwide coin shortage of the 100-yen coins in Japan. 

Space Invaders Arcade Game

It was an inspiration for many

It became the inspiration for numerous video games, the inspiration for video game coders/designers to enter the field. The creators of Donkey Kong, Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Metal Gear, and Doom have all cited Space Invaders as their introduction into the video game industry. 

Space Invaders has also been an inspiration for street artists all over the world. The pixelated enemy alien has become a pop culture icon, often representing video games as a whole.

What was it about Space Invaders that made it so popular?

It truly was groundbreaking.

It was the first game to introduce several innovations such as tracking a players “High Score” and having a soundtrack independent of sound effects within the game. 

Despite its simplicity, the soundtrack for Space Invaders was revolutionary. Not only did they separate the soundtrack from the sound effects, but they also sped up the soundtrack at certain times to evoke the feeling of tension in the player.

Space Invaders was the first video game to intentionally induce emotion in its players

“This was the first game to invoke a distinct mood and tone” - Brooker, BBC: Videogames Changed the World, 2013

The game presented a challenge to players on multiple levels. It was the first to create the archetypal theme of ‘One Vs. Many” and the first to intentionally introduce the feelings of control, tension, hope, and fear.

Control

At the beginning of each stage in the game, the player can visualize the threat, adjust to the motion of the laser cannon, and engage enemies. When coupled with the slow approach of the enemies this induces a sense of control within the player

Tension

As each enemy is destroyed, the speed of the enemies increases, and therefore the threat increases. This creates a tense scenario that grips the player’s attention and focus. This feature alone unintentionally created the first difficulty curve within a videogame.

Hope

In the same scenario which causes tension within the player, when nearing the end of each stage the number of hostiles is low and so the enemy speed is at its highest. The additional tension yet minimal numbers of enemies creates a sense of hope within the player that he/she may complete the stage.

Fear

Space Invaders from the offset charges the player with the responsibility of eliminating numerous opponents in ranged combat. This situation causes the player to engage in a ‘fight or flight’ scenario, “a psychological reaction that occurs in the presence of something that is terrifying” . Although this may be alarming to the player, this greatly enhances immersion.

Space Invaders teaches us that we can profoundly affect our customers when we intentionally tap into their emotions.

Why does some marketing stick with us more than other marketing does? It’s because emotion plays a big part in how we relate to the world around us.

Marketing that is emotional becomes memorable.

Have you ever heard the phrase: “People may not remember exactly what you said, but they will remember exactly how you made them feel.” This is true even in marketing.

If you want to have your brand connect with your audience, that connection is created through EMOTION.

But don’t just take our word for it. Here’s some data that backs up why it’s important to create an emotional connection with your audience.

Consumers who have had a positive emotional experience with a brand are:

  • 15.1 times more likely to recommend the company
  • 8.4 times more likely to trust the company
  • 7.8 times more likely to try new products and services
  • 7.1 times more likely to purchase more from the company
  • 6.6 times more likely to forgive the company after a mistake

Check out more here: Temkin Group 2016 Consumer Benchmark Study

Space Invaders Cabinet Design

Emotional Marketing Drives Revenue. 

As neurologist Antonio Damasio argues in his book “Descartes Error”

“Emotion is a necessary ingredient to almost all decisions”

People are emotional creatures, and they buy because of what they are FEELING - not necessarily what they are thinking.

Smart marketers know how to tap into those emotions and align our marketing strategies to drive sales. It’s our job to give the customers what they need in order to feel comfortable making a purchase.

According to the 2020 Content Fitness Report from PAN Communications, 31% of advertisers and marketers report significant profit gains from emotionally driven campaigns.

Ads with an above-average emotional response from consumers earned a 23% increase in sales compared to average advertisements.

2015 Nielsen Consumer Neuroscience Internal Study

You can boost your revenue by using several “emotional triggers” such as:

  • Trust
  • Belonging
  • Guilt
  • Fear
  • Anger/Disgust
  • Happiness
  • Humor
  • Surprise
  • Inspiration
  • Values & Altruism

Emotions are valuable for marketing. Marketers and business owners need to make sure that they’re connecting with audiences on a human-to-human level.

But also remember that emotions make us vulnerable

Be aware of that, of how you are making your customers feel. Be mindful that there are consequences of your actions as a marketer and as a brand. 

Emotional Marketing makes great first impressions and first impressions matter in business

Remember, your customers are HUMAN. Great marketers understand that and use it to their advantage.

If you are at a party and you meet someone new, what stands out to you? What is memorable? The person that talked about their taxes and their accountant? Or was it the person who told a joke and made you laugh?

“Buyers make most decisions by relying on their two-second first impressions based on stored memories, images, and feelings.” - Malcolm Gladwell,
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking.

First impressions can make or break a business. A positive emotional connection with your brand can help anchor your business in the marketplace. 

First impressions are critical to customer loyalty. According to a survey result from ClickFox, 59% of consumers say their decision of when a brand becomes a favorite of theirs occurs right after their first purchase or when their service began.

So much goes into making a first impression or… the first memory a customer will have of your brand. It all comes down to creating an experience for your customers and evoking emotion within them. These emotions become the foundation on which brand loyalty is built. 

Space Invaders Lights

Emotional Marketing is important for B2B too.

Emotional marketing and emotional connection is even MORE important in B2B marketing than it is in B2C marketing.

A few years ago, Google teamed up with CEB’s Marketing Leadership Council to survey 3,000 purchasers of 36 B2B brands across multiple industries. Their goal was to study uncover the reality that was hiding beneath the basic assumption that B2B transactions were devoid of emotion. 

Their results were stunning, they discovered that B2B buyers are FAR more emotionally connected to their vendors than consumers of B2C brands.

 

While that may seem surprising, it’s really not when you consider that the stakes in B2C purchases are dramatically lower than the stakes in a B2B purchase or transaction. A B2C customer can typically just return a product if they aren’t happy. 

In business purchases, they often involve a HUGE amount of risk. Often the sales can reach into the millions of dollars, sales cycles are often long, and a bad call on a vendor can cost a company millions of dollars in lost productivity and a bad call on a vendor can even cost the buyer their job.

The hard truth: A business won’t decide to buy UNLESS there is a strong emotional connection that will help them to overcome the feelings of risk

B2B brands need to focus on creating excitement, to help the purchaser see and realize both their professional and personal rewards

  • B2B purchasers are almost 50% more likely to buy a product or service when they see personal value. 
  • Buyers are 8x more likely to pay a higher premium for comparable products or services when personal value is present.

Google + CEB survey results

Far too many B2B brands take themselves far too seriously. I get it, most B2B product is technical and complicated, but remember, just because it’s B2B doesn’t mean it has to mean Business is Boring. 

Most B2B marketers think of their customers as organizations or businesses. Instead, think of your customer as INDIVIDUALS.

Your customers are still PEOPLE, and people relate to emotions. Often you can develop a strong emotional tie with your audience by being both professional AND fun. I promise you it’s possible. 

If you want to foster a deeper relationship with your customer, then consider evoking feelings of joy in your marketing messages to them. 

Don’t get caught up in industry buzzwords or jargon. Think of how you would relate to any product. You would want to know what it does FOR YOU and how it will make your life better or easier. 

 This is where you connect with your audience. 

Check out our first Cheat Code we released:
CHEAT CODE #1 - Getting Better Results by Scrapping your generic forms

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