A while back, I started a video series on a powerful concept known as “emotional markets.” I planned to share 6 videos but ended up recording just 2.

[Click here to catch up on Part 1 and Part 2 of the series if you haven’t already]

I’m a strong believer of “it doesn’t matter what you start, it matters what you finish” so here I am, finishing that series 6 years later… 🙂

So, I first learned about emotional markets from a book called The Dream Society by Rolf Jensen, which is about how information is giving way to imagination and how it’s going to transform the way we do business. 

Rolf is a futurist and he predicted years and years ago that marketing was moving away from data, logic and information and moving toward imagination and the stories people tell to sell their products. 

He talks about how people will no longer buy based on information alone but based on the stories and the emotional needs each product fulfills. 

The book goes into 6 different emotional markets and how each market fulfills a different need in people’s hearts and minds so they’re motivated to buy a particular product or service. 

When I started that 6-video blog series on emotional markets, I made the decision to record each video on location at different businesses and stores in New Orleans.

Today’s video is at Congo Square and it’s the perfect place to talk about the emotional market of togetherness, friendship and love and here’s why…

It’s Not Just About Selling a Product Anymore…

So, back in the early 1800s Congo Square was where slaves would gather on Sundays (their only day off).

Those were some pretty epic gatherings — 500 to 600 people — and they would play music, sing and dance the Congo, the Juba and the Bamboula. They set up a market and even practiced voodoo at the Square.  

And it was those native African influences that began to form so much of the cultural heritage of New Orleans. 

Mardi Gras and some of the great jazz traditions of the city emerged from those African roots and it all started because the slaves needed a place to create a new story of togetherness, friendship and love for their community.

And the really cool thing about this emotional market is that it’s based on rituals and ceremonies. It’s based on symbols of coming together and having these shared experiences.

That’s the heart of Rolf Jensen’s message…

People will buy from businesses and brands that bring them together around shared values and experiences.

And the best businesses in this emotional market are about the tribe that’s created around a brand, because it’s not just about selling a product or service anymore, it’s really about the shared experience people have and what it says about them when they choose your product over every other product out there. 

The Reason They’ll Gravitate Toward You

So togetherness, friendship and love is one of the 6 core emotional markets that give people a reason to gravitate toward you and your business over everyone else. 

So how can you bring people together through shared stories, rituals, symbols and ceremonies? How can your marketing and your business stand for something more than just what you sell? 

Let me know in the comments whether togetherness, friendship and love is an emotional market that you want to tap into, in your business and your marketing.

Also, stay tuned because I’ve got 3 more emotional markets to share with you! 

In my next video I’m going to talk about the emotional market of care, which is one of the most emotional of the emotional markets 🙂

Care is not just about what you provide but how you provide it. It’s in the delivery of your products and services, which is so important today (plus the location I chose to represent this particular emotional market is extra special!).

Don’t forget to let me know in the comments how you plan to use the emotional market of togetherness, friendship and love to connect with your tribe and to transform your business  so it’s unlike any other business out there.

Now go out there and Live Your Message 🙂