How to get people emotionally invested in your work

Life's a spiral. You think you've learned something and it comes back around to show you what you've missed.

Today, I'm covering the topic of emotional investment -- the secret sauce that lies at the root of success and longevity.

In November of last year, Jaguar, a car company once synonymous with old world charm, flashy engines, class and elegance announced an ambitious rebrand essentially stripping away its legacy to go after an entirely new EV market. My feed was blowing up with public outrage for weeks. People felt genuinely betrayed. Jaguar had essentially rejected its entire consumer base. To be fair, it had been struggling to keep up with the market for years. Sometimes, radical shifts pay off. Sometimes, they don't. Last week, Jaguar announced it was parting ways with its ad agency Accenture Song, the ones responsible for this mistake – one that will go down in the “how to kill a brand” history books.

What Jaguar failed to realize was how deeply emotionally invested its consumer fan base was in the brand. Mental and emotional associations that had been built up for decades were erased. The world is an increasingly chaotic place and people look up to brands for a sense of stability and familiarity, so when a very well known, well-established brand decides to change its identity and how it operates so radically, it can be a little traumatic for their audiences.

The reason business owners don't value emotional investment is because it's hard to quantize... but if gaged appropriately, it can be leveraged for some really incredible results.

An unexpected byproduct of this drama is that other car companies have been following it closely and taking note. The highly anticipated Renault 5 EV preserves the retro charm of its original 1976 model while serving the needs of a less petroleum dependent future.

Care can move mountains and shape countries. There are people out there that have been following your story since day one. If you want to go fast, it's harder to bring them with you. It takes more bandwidth to accommodate multiple perspectives. But if you want to go far, taking your people with you is how movements are built.

No matter how technologically advanced we get, how smart we think we are, humans will still be ruled by emotion. To feel deeply is one of our greatest gifts as a species. How boring would life be if we didn't care?

I am from the school of thought that the world would be a better place if we cared more about one another, if we cared about our history, and if we made choices that would acknowledge the whole rather than just a desired part. Our progress would be slower, but we would benefit from deeper, stronger foundations that serve the needs of the whole.

The more you know yourself and what you stand for, the easier it is to bring people with you on your journey.

So, if you're curious on how to get people emotionally invested in your work, here's a simplified synopsis.

Step 1: Be courageous.

Courage is magnetic.
If you can articulate what your people are thinking but haven't found the words to yet, they will trust you more. Verbalize the tension.

Step 2: Tell your story

People connect with meaning.
What is the personal story behind your work?Why does it matter to you? These details matter much more than you might think and compound momentum over time. Your story matters. Your voice matters. Remember that.

Step 3: Reflect shared values

Your people need to see themselves in your brand.What do they believe in?What future are they trying to create? What are they tired of seeing?

Mirror those truths back to them visually, verbally, with your whole being.

Step 4: Create a universe

A brand is a moment, a world, a feeling so craft an environment that stirs emotion. Maybe it's an unexpected detail that makes people feel seen or a relatable story or something you really care about. The sky's the limit. Refer to the famous quote here that goes something like: “People won't remember what you said... but they'll remember how you made them feel.”

These steps can be followed all at once or individually. The order isn't so important. Focus on the feeling and intention you put behind your efforts. If you do this well, you'll encourage belonging.

When people are emotionally invested in your work, they care about your future. They want to see you grow and thrive. They see your story as something meaningful to them, that enriches their lives. Enjoy the ride. ✸