Frontiers in Business, Economics and Management ISSN: 2766-824X | Vol. 15, No. 3, 2024 165 Research on Brand Emotional Communication Marketing Strategy -- Taking BaiXiang as an example Chenbing Lin School of Communication, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350108, China * Corresponding author: Chenbing Lin (Email: lcblalala@outlook.com) Abstract: With the rapid development of the economy and the improvement of people's quality of life, consumers' choice of products is more diversified, their attention has shifted from the rational level to the emotional level, and they pay more attention to the emotional value behind the products, which makes many brand marketing methods continue to innovate and change, among which the most common is emotional marketing. This paper takes BaiXiang as an example, studies the strategies of brand emotional marketing through three specific emotional marketing cases, and provides methods and strategies for subsequent brand emotional marketing. Keywords: BaiXiang, Emotional communication, Marketing. 1. Introduction 1.1. Research Background and Significance 1.1.1. Theoretical Significance (1) Enrich and develop marketing methods: Emotional marketing is a relatively new marketing method in recent years, which can enrich and improve the existing marketing theoretical system and provide more diversified research perspectives for marketing strategies. (2) Exploring the new driving force of consumer consumption behavior: Exploring the role of emotional marketing in consumer decision-making plays an important role in understanding and predicting consumer consumption behavior [1]. 1.1.2. Practical Significance (1) Enhance brand influence and competitiveness: Emotional marketing can trigger consumers' resonance, enhance consumers' sense of identity and loyalty to the brand, thereby increasing consumer stickiness and achieving better marketing effects. (2) Enhance brand value and build a unique brand system: Through emotional communication and marketing, enterprises can shape their own unique brand culture and brand story, so as to form their own publicity system and influence strategy, so as to enhance brand value. (3) Enhance corporate social responsibility: Emotional marketing can not only help enterprises attract more consumers, but also help enterprises fulfill their social responsibilities and promote social harmony by passing on positive energy. 1.2. Summary of Research Status 1.2.1. Summary of Domestic Research Status At present, domestic research on emotional communication can be roughly divided into five stages. The first stage is 1993, when domestic research on emotion began and relevant hot words began to appear; the second stage is 1999, when researchers began to study emotional marketing with the emergence of related concepts such as marketing. I began to solve relevant problems and difficulties in the implementation process for enterprises and brands, and then started the third stage of the research in 2005, at which time the research direction was gradually diversified and began to study from the perspective of consumers. The fourth stage began in 2011, due to the changes in marketing media, new social media such as Quora and Wicro-blog appeared one after another. Scholars began to pay close attention to social media and conduct research, and the literature output of researchers during this period was also relatively rich. In the fifth stage, from 2017 to 2021, the content of brand communication was widely concerned by researchers. The research results are fruitful. However, there are also certain shortcomings. The current research on emotional communication is based on an inductive analysis of successful cases and a summary of some effective emotional communication strategies, such as shaping brand concepts, telling brand stories, and establishing brand culture. However, it is still in a preliminary stage and has not yet formed a complete theoretical system and research framework, nor has it deeply explored the essence, mechanism and effect behind emotional transmission. Secondly, there is no subdivision in the field of emotional communication, and it only stays on a big plate. In the follow- up research, researchers can conduct more in-depth and detailed research and discussion on emotional communication from the perspectives of consumers, emotional advertisements, emotional appeals, etc. [2]. 1.2.2. Summary of Foreign Research Status Compared with domestic research on emotional communication, the concept of emotional marketing was first proposed in 1988, when it mainly focused on the elements that arouse consumer emotion, but a complete system has not yet been formed. In 2001, Barry Feig conducted a study on consumer emotional experience, emphasizing the importance of consumer emotional value in the theory of emotional marketing. Robert shifted the focus of emotional marketing to the production of emotional products, he believed that only the production of emotional products can change consumers' 166 purchasing attitude, marking the birth of emotional marketing theory. In 2001, Kevin lane Keller proposed a customer-based brand equity pyramid model from the perspective of consumers, and expounded four aspects of brand building: establishing brand identity, creating brand connotation, guiding brand response, and establishing the relationship between consumers and brands. In addition, the model highlights six dimensions that need to be considered when evaluating brand value, including salience, performance, image, evaluation, sensation, and resonance, all of which play a crucial role in evaluating brand value. 2. BaiXiang Emotional Communication Marketing Case Study 2.1. In the 315 Laotan Pickled Cabbage Incident In 2022, Baixiang Showed Their National Feelings Through the Media On March 15, 2022, the program of China Media Group exposed the inside of the production of “earth pit” pickled cabbage. The so-called Laotan pickled cabbage fermented for 81 days was in poor sanitary condition. The exposed video showed workers barefoot and brazenly stepping on cabbage, which then triggered a series of chain reactions. The exposed “Chaqi Vegetable Industry” cooperated with many instant noodle brands, only the BaiXiang brand has the confidence to issue a statement, “no cooperation, rest assured to eat”, came forward to protect the safety of their own products, at the same time, according to media reports, BaiXiang as one of the four brands of instant noodles only rejected the acquisition of Japanese shares, in order to protect the employment of hundreds of disabled employees under the enterprise. With the continuous fermentation of the event, the domestic and national emotions transmitted by the white elephant through the media are well known by consumers and are favored by the public. 2.2. In Li Jiaqi's “79 Yuan Eyebrow Pencil” Incident, Baixiang Showed That He Did Not Forget His Original Heart and Cared for Consumers' Emotions In September 2023, Li Jiaqi was questioned by fans about the price being too expensive when he carried out a live show with Florasis’ eyebrow pencil. In this regard, he responded with an indifferent expression: reflect on yourself more and find more reasons. After this incident, “domestic goods”, “irrational consumption” these topics went viral, BaiXiang and other domestic brands chased clout and stand out, in the broadcast room with high-cost performance and conscience of domestic goods as a selling point, the spread of the BaiXiang brand has not forgotten the original heart, care for consumers' emotions, attracted a large number of consumers attention and purchase, to create amazing traffic and sales. 2.3. During the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, BaiXiang Spread the Sentiment of Caring for The Disabled During the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, BaiXiang silently gave 10,000 yuan to each athlete of the Asian Paralympic Games, and sent a greeting card full of encouragement. At the same time, BaiXiang actively cultivated a culture of caring and supporting the disabled within the company. In this event, BaiXiang spread the emotion of caring for the disabled. 3. Research on the Marketing Strategy Of Baixiang's Emotional Communication 3.1. Unique KOC Marketing Strategy Contemporary brand marketing is mostly carried out in the mode of KOL, by inviting “celebrities” or “influential opinion leaders” to endorse products, rapidly improve brand awareness and exposure, but in the increasingly fierce market competition at present, the influence of this marketing method is rapidly declining. Many consumers don’t buy it, and the KOC model is to share and recommend through the perspective of ordinary consumers and users. Although the impact is relatively limited, this approach is often more suitable for forming trust and Public praise among consumers. It is also consistent with the brand concept of the BaiXiang brand. The BaiXiang brand has adopted this approach for many times to carry out emotional marketing through the perspective of media or passers-by. For example, for example, by netizens uploading the scene of BaiXiang employees leaving work, one-third of the employees are disabled; Through the chat logs of passers-by say clearly like to donate money to every disabled person. When a brand conducts emotional marketing, the perspective of passers-by or ordinary consumers is often more likely to arouse resonance among the crowd[3]. 3.2. Emotional Marketing Based on Hot Events to Express Public Emotions The consumption trend in recent years reflects that consumers' emotions and feelings are becoming a mainstream influence in business society. With the development of emotional economy, consumers pay more attention to brands and products that can trigger positive emotions and provide spiritual comfort. For example, in the film industry, Wolf Warriors 1, 2, Wandering Earth and other films are popular at the box office, which reflects the public's empathy for the family and country through the ethnic point. After the 2023 shopping festival, “domestic goods”, “irrational consumption”, was vigorously discussed on the network, BaiXiang brand seize the opportunity, with “conscience domestic goods”, “self-improvement” as the keyword, not grandiosity marketing, to the outside world: domestic goods are difficult, but we have been insisting. It has pulled the linkage of domestic brands, driven the positive emotions of consumers, and let users empathize and reach a height with emotions. Finally, through the mining and fermentation of the media, the traffic caused by a hot spot is developed through empathy, so that a large number of consumers can become loyal KOL of the brand. If the marketing is not based on this hot event, but on a regular time point, the effect may be greatly reduced [4]. 3.3. Emotional Marketing Should Be Appropriately Applied and Based on Product Quality in Order to Achieve Long- Term Development Although emotional marketing can give consumers a sense of freshness, pull the distance between consumers, but also pay attention to grasp the sense of proportion and scale, not enough seems to complain, too much is hypocritical, once not 167 well grasped, it will cause counterproductive consequences. It has become a form of peddling, just like the White Rabbit Creamy candy, through the marketing of childhood feelings and cross-border cooperation with major industries, and obtained a short flow, but it is not based on the product itself, so that consumers' impression of the product is still “too sweet”, “not healthy” such as stones thrown into the river, stir up a little ripple and quickly sink to the bottom of the river. Another example is the print advertisement of Alipay, which uses family marketing to induce advanced consumption, which is boycotted by the majority of consumers and turns the marketing into a flop. The BaiXiang brand, through just the right feelings marketing, resonated with consumers, returned to the product itself, deeply cultivated the “Chinese surface” track, constantly launched new products, won a number of patents, and adjust product flavors according to different regions. Combined with diversified marketing, it makes the old backward brand glow with new brilliance. 4. Problems Existing in The Communication of Emotional Marketing 4.1. Output A Single Label, Ignoring the Multiple Values of Each Group Looking at today's market, there is nothing wrong with brands using emotional marketing to expand the effect and influence. However, in brand marketing, any marketing promotion concept must first be legal and compliant, and at the same time, it must conform to the values of the society, and the values at this level include many aspects and the values of different social classes. If it is not done well, it will backfire. For example, Dove's advertisement of “short hair is more beautiful than long hair” during the epidemic caused a lot of controversy. The brand intended to pay tribute to female medical workers and carry out female emotional marketing, but as it spread widely, many people thought that this advertisement had “objectification of women”. Some netizens believe that the incident of female medical staff shaving their heads has caused a lot of controversy, and Dove's statement that “short hair is more beautiful than long hair” is inappropriate, and “a woman's beauty should not be defined by her hair”. As far as this Dove advertisement is concerned, the single level is a little biased, and it is bound to bear the controversial discussion of some netizens. 4.2. Scale is Difficult to Grasp, Lack of Boundary Sense Brand marketing, especially in emotional marketing, remember to grasp the scale and sense of proportion, do a sense of boundary creativity, do not take the edge of the sword. For example, the “five female doctors” brand released a group of elevator advertisements in the public, in which five female doctors shouted: “My husband is angry with me, drink”, “one year old, drink”, the advertisement was accused of selling anxiety and ascribe aging to “defects”, which intended to use women for emotional marketing, but became a moral kidnapping. Grasp the scale, do not let marketing become “rollover”. 4.3. Only Empty Shell, Lack of Meaning Emotional marketing is endless, but a closer examination has found that these advertisements all follow the same pattern, like the advertising during the Spring Festival, want to arouse people's feelings for traditional customs, traditional culture, but in the advertising is limited to the Chinese red Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, once or twice is find, but as the number of times more and more, consumers' emotions will be consumed. In order to truly resonate, the brand needs to first sum up the essence of cultural consciousness and social consensus, and explore a mature model. 5. Conclusion Based on the basis of domestic and foreign scholars' emotional marketing, this paper analyzes and explores the emotional marketing cases of BaiXiang brands. In the research process, literature investigation, case study and induction are used to summarize the specific strategies of brand emotional marketing: First, KOC marketing strategy is used to carry out marketing from the perspective of passers- by; The second is to use the trend or the trend of marketing according to hot events, and the third is returning to the product itself. The problems that are easy to appear in the communication of emotional marketing are also discussed. The research results can provide new ideas and methods for the subsequent research and practice of emotional marketing. References [1] Zhang, J., Wei, Y. N. (2021). In the spread of Internet brand emotional marketing strategy analysis. Journal of youth press, 22, 113-114. [2] Meng, Y. S., Yu, Y. X. (2024). Analysis of domestic emotional marketing research hotspots based on Citespace. Northern Economics and Trade, 02, 69-73. [3] Yang, X. (2023). Understanding emotional marketing and entering the "heart" consumption pattern. International Public Relations, 19(19), 67-68. [4] Liu, Y., Yang, X. Y. (2022). Study on the Influence of KOC on Consumer Purchasing Behavior in Social E-commerce Platform. New media research, 24, 66-69.