Why Resonance Wins Mindshare (It's Why I'm Still Using Dove Soap)

When I talk about resonance, I’m talking about memorability.

You know, the kind of content that lingers in someone’s mind long after they’ve seen it.

I talked recently about why video needs to be at the core of your mindshare-focused content strategy. I also mentioned that videos need to be memorable in order to work.

A video's resonance is how memorable it is, and it doesn't happen by chance.

Resonance is why some brands pop up in your thoughts, long after you've encountered their content.

I'm specifically talking about emotional resonance.

Over the years, I’ve chased plenty of marketing trends, but nothing captures mindshare as effectively as emotion.

I vividly remember watching a Dove campaign for the first time, way back in the early 2000s.

This ad wasn't about soap at all, though.

It was about unrealistic beauty standards, self-esteem, and authenticity.

That campaign didn’t inform me as much as it stirred something inside me. I never forgot the core message, and years later, Dove is still my default soap.

That's emotional resonance at work. It’s subtle, yet extremely powerful. I feel loyal to a company simply because their message resonated with me.

Studies consistently show that emotionally resonant content is twice as likely to be remembered as logical content. If the Dove ad above had instead focused on the benefits of using Dove (great scents, softer skin, and so on), it might have caught my interest in the moment, but I probably would have forgotten it almost immediately.

However, because the ad sparked real emotion in me, I remembered it. I'm telling you about it, years after the fact.

Emotional resonance is critical if you want your video content to do well. Buyers today, bombarded by endless logical pitches, crave genuine emotional connections. As a marketer, it’s worth remembering that your job isn’t just selling features. It's to create moments that people feel.

To make the business case clearer: One retail study illustrated that emotional resonance translates directly into customer lifetime value, with emotionally-connected customers representing a 305% better lifetime value than customers who are simply "satisfied."

You want people to feel connected to you. But how do you achieve this resonance in genuine ways, particularly in the B2B space, where things can feel a little bit more formal?

The answer is deceptively simple: Tell better stories.

People remember narratives. They can easily recall the human moments within each story arc, like the executive who bet on innovation and won, or the happy customer who worked through their challenges using your product.

This was a core concept behind our early series, CMO Diaries, in which Goldcast's CMO talked with key marketing leaders about the stories behind their campaigns. Anyone can see the external view of a marketing campaign; we wanted all of the juicy BTS details.

Authentic, raw storytelling like the video above builds the trust and connection needed to ensure your brand becomes the default mental choice.

With the importance of storytelling in mind, consider creating content that doesn’t shy away from vulnerability or authenticity. Customers can spot sincerity instantly, and once they feel it, they go from viewers to advocates.

Resonance doesn’t happen by accident. Here are a few ways B2B marketers can cultivate it:

• Focus on storytelling over features
• Highlight human moments and authentic experiences
• Embrace vulnerability and transparency
• Use video to amplify emotional impact

Be intentional.

You want all of your customers to feel the way I feel about Dove, about you, so go forth and resonate!

Video-first marketing provides the medium, consistency ensures recall, and resonance creates the emotional depth.

Together, these elements compound to drive mindshare.

When brands deliver emotionally resonant stories through video and sustain them with consistency, they create powerful, memorable experiences that make them the default choice in the minds of buyers.

It’s the emotional connection content creates with audiences. Resonance makes your brand memorable by triggering feelings that stick long after the campaign is over.

Logical appeals are quickly forgotten. Emotional content, on the other hand, embeds your brand into long-term memory. That’s why emotionally resonant campaigns generate higher loyalty and lifetime value.

Absolutely. Even in B2B, decisions are made by people. Emotional resonance makes your brand more relatable and trustworthy, especially in complex buying cycles.

Look at metrics like brand recall surveys, social sharing, and qualitative feedback. Long-term indicators include repeat engagement, customer advocacy, and lifetime value.

Stories tap into universal human experiences. They’re easier to remember than product features, and they make your brand feel authentic and human.

Video brings emotional cues—tone, expression, body language—that text alone can’t deliver. It’s one of the most effective ways to tell resonant stories at scale.