Why Feelings Drive Sales: Value-Based Marketing That Connects and Converts with Emily Lyman, episode 154

EP 154. Why feelings drive sales. Most marketers focus on data—but people buy based on emotion. Guest Emily Lyman, the Founder & CEO of Branch & Bramble agency, breaks down value-based marketing, the 4 core human values, and how to tweak your messaging to connect and convert with more moms and other customer segments.

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Most marketers focus on data—but people buy based on emotion.

In this episode of Marketing With Empathy®, I’m joined by Emily Lyman, Founder & CEO of the agency Branch & Bramble, to talk about why brands need to rethink how they approach marketing if they want to truly connect with their audiences—especially moms.

We dig into the power of empathetic marketing and how understanding the core human values that drive your audience’s decisions can transform your messaging and improve your results. This conversation is packed with practical examples (including one from Patagonia), fresh insights on the psychology of decision-making, and tactical tips you can start using right away.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Here are some of the key questions we explore in this episode:

  • What is empathetic marketing—and how is it different from telling your brand story?

  • What are valuegraphics, and how do they help uncover what your audience actually cares about?

  • What are the 4 core values that show up in nearly every consumer group?

  • Why do moms index higher for certain values—and how should that shape your messaging?

  • What simple shift helped Patagonia increase clicks by 104%?

  • How do you figure out what your audience values—without guessing?

  • What questions should you ask in surveys to tap into customer emotions?

  • What are the 5 unconscious biases that affect how marketers communicate?

  • What free Harvard tool can help you uncover your own marketing blind spots?

LINKS MENTIONED IN EPISODE

1. FREE e-BOOK: Wondering how to future-proof your brand and convert consumers and become a better empathetic marketers? Grab Emily's free e-Book to connect & convert more customers at www.branchandbramble.com/empathetic-marketing. This free eBook walks you through the exact steps to take to become a better empathetic marketer and build meaningful connections with your target audience. Simply fill out the form to download your eBook immediately.

   The eBook features:

   • The Four Key Tenets of Empathetic Marketing

   • The Five Step Empathetic Marketing Process

   • Customer Empathy Scorecard

   • Exclusive Bonus Content

    

2. FREE  BIAS TEST: Take Harvard Project Implicit Test to see what your biases are.
   
   
   
3. DIG MORE INTO VALUEGRAPHICS: David Allison Valuegraphics David Allison is a human values expert, global researcher, and two-time best-selling author. He is the founder of the Valuegraphics Project, an organization devoted to a simple goal – influencing outcomes with shared human values. The Valuegraphics Research Company is one division of the Valuegraphics Project, with a team of researchers and project managers who help organizations understand how to engage and influence the people they want to reach.
   
   
   
4.  CONNECT WITH GUEST EXPERT: Connect with Emily Lyman, the CEO and Founder of Branch & Bramble at emily@branchandbramble.com or on LinkedIn

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you want to write marketing messages that resonate on a human level—not just check a data box—this episode is a must-listen.

Whether you’re trying to connect with more moms, values-based consumers, or simply want to sharpen your empathy-driven marketing strategy, Emily’s insights will help you take that next step.

🎧 Listen now and learn how tiny tweaks in your messaging can lead to big results.

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ABOUT MARKETING WITH EMPATHY PODCAST HOST, SARAH PANUS

Marketing With Empathy® is the podcast for brands that want to target & engage mom customers. Moms influence or control 85% of ALL household purchases, but without the right content strategy many brands are missing out on sales. Sarah Panus helps busy marketers build clear content plans that reach more moms – and other key customers – to drive more leads and sales. Top 5% of all podcasts, and member of Marketing Podcast Network.

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With 20+ years of experience, Sarah understands how hard it is to juggle all the demands coming at you. She’s a mom, content marketing strategy consultant, Certified StoryBrand Coach, 2x podcast host of Marketing With Empathy® and KEEP KIDS SAFE, a speaker, and owner of Kindred Speak®. Sarah’s helped clients of all sizes including: Sleep Number, SHEFIT, American Express, LegalZoom, Katie Couric Media, Thrive Global, Nestle Waters, Lindt Chocolate, Starbucks, Western Green, JHL Turf Pros, Christos Bridal, University of St. Thomas, American Heart Association, + numerous small businesses.

Clear content plans shouldn’t take forever to figure out. Learn how Sarah can help improve your company’s content plans at kindredspeak.com. 

Header image photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash