• by Valerie Moizel , Op-Ed Contributor, August 31, 2021

When it comes to emotionality in the workplace, no one can refute that the expectations are different for men and women. Cultural norms we are all familiar with, and gender stereotypes (we like to pretend don’t exist) have been around forever. 

As a woman in business, you are frequently told not to show feelings. I remember a few years ago, going into an important meeting with a Fortune 500 brand and being instructed by a male colleague to “come across stoic and professional” and to not be perceived as being too excited or eager, for fear it would send the wrong message. That felt odd to me. The truth was that I was genuinely very enthusiastic about the work, and so why would I want to hide that enthusiasm? 

After all, emotions are the core of what drives us. They help us make decisions, and primarily, they are what connect us as humans. And if you look around, emotion is everywhere. In the marketing world, it’s the backbone for many of the world’s biggest brands. Nike’s iconic “Just Do It” was a virtual Carpe Diem! for the sports universe. You’ll also see emotion in McDonald’s “I’m lovin’ It” and in Coca-Cola’s “Taste the Feeling”. Even Wal-Mart, after 19 years, replaced their rather factual, “Always Low Prices” with the more emotional, “Save Money. Live Better.” 

It’s not just marketing slogans. Across social media platforms, brand conversations are getting ever more emotional thanks to customer engagement and sharing. The platforms understand the value of these interactions all too well. In recent years, Facebook even modified its algorithm to refocus user experience on connections and community. As a result of the changes, content that spurs emotion and engagement is promoted and featured more often. 

But as much as emotion leads across the marketing world, it’s still oddly taboo throughout much of the marketing industry – and that’s such a puzzling disconnect. Why on Earth would an industry discourage emotion in its creative ranks, while at the same time making emotion its #1 creative currency? It would be like telling a Chef not to taste the food she/he is cooking! 

Through my "She Dynasty" podcast, I have explored the concept of emotion with some of the world’s most powerful and influential female marketers and executives. In these conversations there’s been a consistent thread, a falsehood that every woman has had to deal with at some point in their career: the erroneous and painfully foolish notion that “emotion” is somehow synonymous with “melodrama.”.

Because so much of the male identity has been rooted in alpha dominance and a confidence-at-all-costs mentality, any hint of emotion was typically seen as weakness and immediately discouraged. In that old school paradigm, no distinction was made between negative emotions like jealousy and insecurity and other, very positive emotions such as passion, joy, ambition, humility, vulnerability, fearlessness, and resolve. 

Thankfully, we’re entering a new era. Over the course of the recent pandemic, I was blessed to be able to spend more time working at home with my two young teenage daughters. And at the risk of letting this go to their heads, it seems like they have this emotion thing all figured out. Or maybe, it just doesn’t even enter their minds? Because they are far more comfortable in their own skin than I ever was at that age. By example, they have reinforced my professional convictions of being fiercely and unapologetically me. 

As I’ve learned to embrace this authenticity in my own self, I’ve also begun encouraging it in my staff and seeking it out in new employees. By creating an internal ecosystem where emotion is valued and seen as a strength, we are then free to use those emotional strengths as fuel for not only our creative work, but also – and this is key – for our relationships with clients. Because the more real, raw, human and authentic we are with our colleagues, and perhaps most especially, our clients, the stronger our bonds and relationships become.  

Breaking down boundaries with clients isn’t just a performative exercise in personal bonding. In my experience, it often serves as the catalyst for incredible collaboration and insight. So often, these breakthrough moments occur only after the collective team takes the deep, emotional dive – when we allow ourselves to be honestand vulnerable, and when we listen and communicate with a sincere and open heart. 

Some of this might sound a little, well, emotional. But in 2021, emotion sells, unlocking the authenticity consumers crave and delivering outsized results for marketers. Nike’s recent “Dream Crazy” ad featuring Colin Kaepernick and the message, “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything" was an emotional lightning rod, drawing a mix of praise and protest. And almost certainly, it generated serious debate within the corporate ranks at Nike.

But in the end, Nike was rewarded for its courage. “Dream Crazy” won every major industry award, including even, an Emmy. In the marketplace, Nike’s effort led to $163 million in earned media, boosted the brand’s value by $6 billion and led to a 31% sales increase after the ad was released. 

The data and analytics don’t lie. Emotion is powerful stuff. And so nowadays, when I meet with Fortune 500s (or any other brand) I’m open with my emotions and I wear my enthusiasm proudly. Because as marketers, at our best, we can create deeply moving experiences that move people. And isn’t that what we all actually want? Not just us in the industry, but as humans?