This article was written by Ted Church of Anthem Branding and originally featured on the Anthem Branding Blog found here.

In today's business world, it simply isn't enough to follow the traditional advertising routes and expect to get great results. Traditional marketing certainly has its place and time, but almost every demographic you will be targeting will be expecting authentic, more personalized branding that you can't get through traditional means. 

The most enduring change in marketing is the emotional connection. If you can give your consumer base a genuine feeling of belonging and connection with your brand, you will have a lifelong customer.

Today's article is going to teach you the value of emotion and how you can leverage it with custom, branded merchandise and content. 

Why Emotional Connections Are Essential

More traditional advertising methods rely on simplistic tactics like visual cues and logic to communicate why Brand Xis better than Brand Y. There is nothing inherently wrong with this, but there are hard limits to how far that kind of advertising can take you.

Think about these three companies:

• Monsanto
• Apple
• Chipotle

Just reading each name probably evoked a powerful set of emotions, didn't it? Some were probably positive, and there may have been some negative emotions as well. Either way, you felt a strong, emotional response to each company, and it's because of how they are branded.

Emotional connections are able to reach far beyond the rational part of the human brain, which means that careful branding can tap into a consumer's subconscious and create a deep, personal link. When a brand can develop a distinct persona that resonates with its target audience, it can grow at an exponential rate.

How to Create Personal, Branded Content

The best way to create this type of content is to start with your brand story. Where did your brand originate from? What problem or experience triggered that idea that evolved into your business? What demographic do you bring value to? Identify all the special ins and outs that make your brand you. From there, you can begin to craft your brand's persona. 

You can then use this brand persona as a springboard into creating custom merchandise and unique promotional products that will engage your consumer base.

People shop with brands that they believe reflect the best version of who they are or who they want to be. This means you need to have your finger on the pulse of your target audience in order to create thoughtful, custom merchandise that will speak to them and evoke those feelings that lead to brand loyalty.

Here are three simple steps to creating those bonds:

1. Your branding should use "real" words and a vocabulary that resonates with your consumers. For example, don't use trendy slang if your core customer base is retirees; use intelligent, vivacious words instead. Use the demographic of your target audience and the ethos of your brand's story to guide your language choice. 

1. Be fearless with your mission statement. Whatever your brand story is, be sure its ethos shines through everything you do. Being passionate and authentic to that story will help build strong and lasting connections with people who align with that same mission. 

1. Create something exciting. Keep your customers engaged and excited about what your brand is doing, and create an experience around the unique brand you've created. 

The easiest way to start connecting with your audience on an emotional level is to offer authentic, custom merchandise that appeals to their lifestyle.

It's okay to be trendy, especially if that's appealing to your target audience, but you have to make sure you are offering high-quality merchandise that makes your consumers feel like they are part of something unique and special. Inviting your customers to feel like they're part of your brand and "in the club" will create a deep, emotional bond that surpasses any rational thought and keeps them coming back for more.

How have you partnered with brands to help achieve this goal? If you haven't, what are some ways you can help them to begin building emotional connections with their audience?  

This article was written by Ted Church of Anthem Branding and originally featured on the Anthem Branding Blog found here.