Why emotions drive marketing decisions (even when we think they don’t)

By Kath Pay

What neuroscience, cognitive biases, and behavioural psychology teach us about creating campaigns that actually convert.

The illusion of the rational buyer

Marketers love data. We test headlines, optimise for conversions, and write “data-driven” copy, all assuming our customers are evaluating their choices rationally.

But that’s not how the brain works.

Emotions, not logic, drive most buying decisions. And if your marketing isn’t evoking emotion, it likely isn’t driving action.

This isn’t a fluffy theory, it’s hard science. From Nobel Prize-winning psychologists to pioneering neuroscientists, the evidence is clear: people buy with their feelings, and justify with logic.

Let’s dive into what the science actually says, and how it can transform your marketing strategy.

The brain can’t decide without emotion

Antonio Damasio’s groundbreaking discovery

In Descartes’ Error, renowned neuroscientist Antonio Damasio documented the now-famous case of “Elliot,” a highly intelligent man who, after suffering damage to his ventromedial prefrontal cortex, lost the ability to feel emotion. While his memory and logic remained intact, he struggled with even the most basic life decisions – what to eat, what meetings to attend, or what projects to complete.

Damasio found that Elliot couldn’t assign value to his choices. He could logically compare options, but couldn’t feel which choice was best. Without emotion, there was no urgency, no direction – just analysis paralysis.

This led Damasio to propose the Somatic Marker Hypothesis:

Our brains use emotional signals – somatic markers – from past experiences to help us evaluate risk, reward, and relevance.

These emotional “bookmarks” act as shortcuts, guiding decisions by tagging options with a gut-level sense of what feels good, bad, or important.

And that’s where Kahneman picks up the story.

From Somatic Markers to Systems of Thought

Damasio showed that emotion enables decision-making. But how do emotions work within the brain’s broader thinking processes?

That’s where Daniel Kahneman, Nobel laureate and author of Thinking, Fast and Slow, provides a powerful framework.

Kahneman’s dual-system model of thought explains how the mind handles decisions through two interacting systems:

System 1 is fast, automatic, emotional, and intuitive.
System 2 is slow, deliberate, logical, and analytical.

Most marketers assume their audience is engaging System 2, but in reality, System 1 makes the first move. And often, it makes the final decision, too.

Here’s the connection:

Damasio’s emotional somatic markers live within System 1 – they shape the fast, intuitive impressions that guide our behaviour before we’ve even “thought” about it.

If System 1 likes what it sees, System 2 might chime in with a rational explanation: “this feels like a good deal,” “I trust this brand,” or “the price makes sense.” But without System 1’s emotional nudge, System 2 rarely engages at all.

So, what shapes those emotional nudges?

Enter Cognitive Biases: emotional shortcuts in action

Cognitive biases are not flaws in thinking. They’re emotion-driven mental shortcuts, shaped by evolution and past experience, that help us make fast decisions in uncertain or complex situations.

In marketing, these biases are the bridge between System 1’s gut reactions and System 2’s reasoning. They translate emotional impulses into judgment and action.

And while some biases like scarcity and social proof are widely used, there are lesser-known, ethically powerful ones that are especially useful for marketers looking to create campaigns that connect and convert.

Let’s look at five such emotional biases that directly influence System 1, and support System 2’s decision validation.

5 emotionally intelligent cognitive biases for marketing

1. Empathy Gap

We underestimate how future emotions will affect us. System 1 struggles to imagine future discomfort or satisfaction without prompts.

Marketing takeaway: Help people emotionally simulate outcomes. Instead of “You’ll save time,” say “Feel the relief of finishing early every day.”

2. Affect Heuristic

We use emotional impressions to evaluate risk or value quickly. System 1 translates emotion into judgment.

Marketing takeaway: Use tone, visuals, and atmosphere to shape how your offer feels. A reassuring tone makes your process feel easier and safer.

3. Processing Fluency

Things that are easy to process are judged as more familiar and trustworthy. System 1 likes what feels smooth and fluent.

Marketing takeaway: Write simply. Design cleanly. Repeat key points. When content flows easily, it feels right, and right feels true.

4. Peak-End Rule

People remember the most intense moment and the ending of an experience. System 1 latches onto these moments when forming memories.

Marketing takeaway: Design campaigns around a standout moment and a satisfying ending. Finish emails with a strong emotional CTA. Add a visual “wow” near the start.

5. Ben Franklin Effect

We like people more after doing something small for them. System 1 builds emotional attachment through micro-commitments.

Marketing takeaway: Ask for quick actions—poll votes, replies, or feedback. Each engagement builds emotional investment and trust.

Emotion doesn’t compete with logic. It enables it.

The mistake many marketers make is trying to sell to System 2 first, with rational arguments, product specs, and logic.

But System 2 is the validator, not the instigator.

Without emotional context from System 1, there’s no felt urgency. No personal relevance. No connection.

Even in B2B, where logic seems to rule, emotion fuels the perception of trust, safety, and long-term reward.

So if your campaigns aren’t working, ask not:

“Is this persuasive enough?”

But:

“Does this feel like the right choice?”

How to put this into practice

1. Lead with emotion, support with logic

Open with an emotional driver—relief, confidence, joy, curiosity. Then reinforce the decision with proof, specs, and guarantees.

2. Design for System 1, justify for System 2

Keep it simple. Use visuals. Repeat the core benefit. Then back it up with supporting information for deeper thinkers.

3. Use biases to guide ethically

These aren’t tricks, they’re tools.

Bridge empathy gaps with storytelling.
Smooth processing fluency with good UX and copy.
Create memorable peaks in your journey.
Invite interaction to build reciprocity.

Done right, emotional design helps customers make better decisions – ones they’ll feel good about.

Final thought: emotion is the strategy

Emotion is not a soft layer added to strategy. It is the strategy.

It determines what we notice, what we remember, and what we choose.

Damasio showed that without emotion, we can’t decide. Kahneman showed that emotion leads decision-making long before logic joins in. And cognitive biases give us the map, showing how emotion navigates the complexity of choice.

If you want marketing that converts, don’t just speak to the mind, move the heart.