A repeatedly admired subject in society can be measured in the Emotional Surplus frame as I?d explained in last week?s article. That?s the high blend of three attributes: quality (non visible, rational factor), functionality (experience that is relevant) and the emotive factor (looks good).
Bringing a gift when invited to an evening party at home is a French social ritual I?ve experienced. Bouquets are common as elsewhere in the world, but Francis, a florist near Vincenne?s beautiful forest east of Paris, presented me a small Ficus plant in a pot and explained how to nurture it. Francis plays the flute, and being a fan of his music, I?d often go to his pop concerts. When 30 years ago I?d invited him home, he wanted to give me a plant that would solidify our long-term friendship. Ten years on, visiting my home again, the plant?s growth delighted him. Hugging me he declared, ?Our friendship is solid now.? Although I?ve not met Francis in sometime now, the Ficus, just as our friendship, has taken strong root in my mind and home.
Landing in Hong Kong for a global conference in 1993, I lost my baggage that had the OHP slides of my presentation on Emotional Surplus. It was horrifying. How could I tell the organisers who invited me that I have no material? That?s when Francis? Ficus tree gift came to my rescue. I bought a bouquet of roses and a rose plant in a flower pot. I explained to the audience that gifting a bouquet may momentarily look beautiful and evoke alluring emotion in your hosts, but the flowers will soon wither away. That is fragile emotion. But presenting a potted rose plant, the flower may naturally die, but new flowers will bloom as the plant grows. Even if the gifted plant has no flowers, the host knows they will come. I elucidated that as bouquet flowers are cut from the root, their stems become dysfunctional. But the potted plant?s roots comprise the non-visible foundation that nurtures the plant. This rational factor helps the stem circulate sap internally to bring alive the plant?s functionality. So the stem is the functional element. The sustaining root and stem link together empower the cyclical blossoming of flowers. This repetitive flowering that?s sustainable is Emotional Surplus. It?s unlike the ephemeral emotive factor of the bouquet. Let me now narrate a few examples with this thinking of Emotional Surplus.
History as Emotional Surplus reference in the contemporary cricket world: A cricketer?s Test batting average of 99.94 is statistically the greatest achievement in any major sport. He used to practice alone with a golf ball and cricket stump against the wall to sharpen his batting quality, that?s the rational factor. Scoring with almost every ball is the functional factor. Being shy, he?d never show-off in glittering after-game parties. This made him rare and sincere, his emotive factor. He consistently sustained these three elements, scoring and drawing record spectators in a 20-year career. After retirement he was an active writer, selector and administrator for 30 years. Today he?s acknowledged as the greatest batsman. This was Don Bradman. He proved his sustainability in 20 years of active sportsmanship and being the repeated reference of cricket for all time.
A manufacturer?s self surrender of quality defects sustains Emotional Surplus: A car manufacturer recalled millions of sold cars when sudden failure or defects were detected in them. This high sensitivity to addressing rational engineering factors not visible to buyers proves the company?s proactiveness and extreme quality consciousness. Competitors predicted its downfall, but consumers have not walked out. They are confident of always being delivered the high balance of rational, functional and emotive attributes without complacency. When you are sincere to your consumer, your mistake is considered as learning. So people have never forsaken Toyota.
If you consciously address the three attributes in higher ground, a sudden fall can also revive Emotional Surplus delivery: A thoughtful inventor went through turbulence, even quit from the company he created after a power struggle with his Board of Directors. He next founded NeXT, which his previous company bought in 1996. So he returned to become CEO of his parent company. A few years ago this company?s balance sheet was in the red. Applying intensity in innovation, he injected high quality, functionality beyond expectation, and outstandingly sober looks into their new generation products. Consumers held their breath. The company became synonymous with how commoditised digital technology products can acquire value leading to high aspiration for all classes of people in the world. It even entered the arena of entertainment that Sony had dominated for two decades, until earlier this week when Sony declared it?s Walkman could no longer keep up with the digital market. You?ve guessed it, that?s Steve Jobs and his sinful Apple.
Dazzling advertising cannot sell high priced branded daily products that lack Emotional Surplus attributes: In my different interactions with consumers, they have often expressed that they don’t see any quality and efficacy difference between big brands and lower priced products. After watching TV advertising they may buy the brand once or twice, but easily shift to local or pirated products as they find them cheaper and of similar quality. When a big brand pays scant attention to higher performance in blind tests through product engineering, either for quality or functionality, it falls into the growth and profit saturation trap. Glittery TV commercials with film stars cannot compensate product deficiency. That?s why such brands don?t enjoy repeat purchase and sustain with it. A number of brands in India are suffering this trauma.
You may spend huge amounts for market research to get some report. But if the managers don?t go to experience consumers from their bedroom to the toilet, kitchen to the living room, they will never be able to admire the real deficiency consumers feel. In India where brand piracy is common and low priced products proliferate in everyday usage products, it?s extremely important to differentiate with a high, scientific blend of rational quality, perceivable functionality and adequate emotive factors.
Bollywood style marketing can be dangerous. You see a film once or twice, but products you have to buy on a regular basis. People mistakenly consider marketing to be flamboyant or glamour. It?s actually a very laborious, down-to-earth, people life-experiencing and trend-following job. That?s why Emotional Surplus has the very tedious, hard working job of bringing the elevated balance of quality, functionality and likeability.
Shombit Sengupta is an international creative business strategy consultant to top managements. Reach him at http://www.shiningconsulting.com
