In a world where functionality often overshadows emotions, emotainment (emotional entertainment) is emerging as the new style of content to help people reignite their creative spirit.
Providing a thriving digital venue for this is TikTok, which leads the charge as the best platform for creating lasting emotional bonds with users.
Crafting narratives that resonate with their target audience through a wide range of emotions, from empathy and nostalgia to inspiration and hope, is the way brands can create memorable impressions.
To unveil the impact of emotional resonance on digital media platforms, research firms Ipsos and MediaProbe conducted a first-of-its kind research study this year on the impact of emotional entertainment on business outcomes in the UAE.
They also drew on data from the 2021 study: The Neuroscience Behind TikTok’s Relevance study conducted by Ipsos and Neurons in the Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye.
The research revealed that users experienced about five of these moments across key digital channels during a 30min session, with TikTok users having 1.2 times higher positive feelings compared with other digital channels.
TikTok’s short-form video content captures users’ hearts and minds, holding active attention with 1.6 times more time spent on each video (UGC & Ads) compared to other digital channels.
Bruno Ribeiro, Global Head of Research & Insights at MediaProbe, said: “Our findings revealed how goosebumps-like moments are integral to a business strategy that aims to enhance user experience, content satisfaction, and brand impact.”
Emotionally engaging content delivers an authentic touch, engages users with the platform’s language and trends, elevates their followers’ mood and thus amplifies emotional resonance.
“This scientific research on emotional entertainment clearly demonstrates the profound impact that emotionally engaging content can have on digital users, particularly on TikTok.”: said Ramesh Redekar, Director and Head of Brand Tracking at IPSOS MENA.
The effect goes beyond entertainment and engagement as users are driven to take action.
Emotional resonance on TikTok significantly influences shopping behavior. Ipsos’ 2022 Brand Shopping Motivation research study in UAE, KSA and Türkiye showed 68 per cent of shoppers reporting that emotionally engaging content motivated them to shop on TikTok.
Brands can leverage the power of emotainment storytelling to elevate brand recall, loyalty, and purchase intent.
