Introducing Marketing EQ: The Missing Metric That Predicts Business Growth
While you track CTR and CAC, the most important metric goes unmeasured
Every marketing dashboard tells the same story: click-through rates, conversion percentages, cost per acquisition, customer lifetime value. We've become obsessed with measuring the mechanics of marketing while completely ignoring the metric that predicts extraordinary business growth.
Marketing EQ – your brand's emotional intelligence quotient.
The research is definitive. Carat's Brand EQ study of 15,000 people across 15 markets shows that emotionally intelligent brands achieved +910% growth from 2010-2021, massively outperforming major stock indices. LinkedIn's B2B Institute proved that emotional marketing drives 7x more business impact than rational campaigns. Harvard Business Review's revealed that emotionally connected customers have 52% more value than satisfied ones.
Yet 95% of B2B brands have no systematic way to measure their emotional intelligence.
This isn't just a missed opportunity – it's a competitive blind spot that's costing you extraordinary growth.
Today we add this essential component to our proprietary methodology - The Corporate Poetry Method™ - now allowing ambitious brands to build a robust modern brand using emotional intelligence and Marketing EQ.
What is Marketing EQ?
Marketing EQ is your brand's ability to recognise, understand, and respond to the emotional motivators that drive customer behaviour. It's the systematic measurement of how well your marketing connects with the deeper human needs behind business decisions.
Just as IQ measures cognitive intelligence and personal EQ measures emotional intelligence in individuals, Marketing EQ measures emotional intelligence in brand communications and customer experiences.
Marketing EQ predicts business growth because it measures what actually drives purchasing decisions: emotional connection.
The Research Behind Marketing EQ
Carat's Business Impact Data: Carat's 2022 Brand EQ study represents the most comprehensive analysis of emotional intelligence and business performance ever conducted. Using Daniel Goleman's five-component EQ framework adapted for brands, they tracked 51 global brands across 9 categories.
The results are revolutionary:
Top 20 emotionally intelligent brands: +910% growth (2010-2021)
S&P 500 index: +185% growth (same period)
FTSE 100 index: +67% growth (same period)
This isn't correlation – it's causation documented at unprecedented scale.
LinkedIn's Performance Multiplier Evidence: LinkedIn's B2B Institute research by Les Binet and Peter Field reveals the mechanism behind Carat's growth data: emotional marketing strategies drive 7x more business impact than rational campaigns. The optimal approach combines 46% emotional brand building with 54% rational activation.
Harvard's Customer Value Research: Harvard Business Review's analysis of 300+ emotional motivators shows that emotionally connected customers have 52% more value than those who are merely satisfied. The study identifies key B2B motivators: desire to achieve success, feel confident, stand out from competitors, and a sense of belonging among others.
The Five Components of Marketing EQ
Based on Carat's research framework and our experience with B2B brands, Marketing EQ consists of five measurable components:
1. Self-Awareness (20 points) How well does your brand understand and communicate what it stands for? Carat's study shows that high-EQ brands "seem to know what they stand for," with Google leading this category through crystal-clear purpose and consistent values reinforcement.
2. Self-Regulation (20 points) Does your brand behave with honesty and integrity across all touch-points? Carat's research reveals that brands scoring highest on integrity measures achieved the strongest growth performance, especially during crisis periods.
3. Motivation (20 points) Does your brand consistently try hard to deliver good experiences? Carat's data shows that high-EQ brands never stop improving customer experiences, creating compound advantages that sustain growth over time.
4. Empathy (20 points) Does your brand understand people and what they need? Carat's study identifies empathy as crucial for high performance, with Samsung outperforming Apple by demonstrating superior understanding of diverse customer needs.
5. Social Skills (20 points) Does your brand communicate in clear and meaningful ways? Carat's research shows that jargon-free, emotionally resonant communication directly correlates with business growth.
Total Marketing EQ Score: 100 points possible
Why Traditional Metrics Miss What Matters Most
The Rational Measurement Trap: Traditional marketing metrics were designed for a world where we believed B2B buyers made purely logical decisions. Click-through rates tell you if people clicked, but not if they felt anything. Conversion rates show who bought, but not why they chose you over competitors.
The Engagement Illusion: High engagement doesn't automatically mean emotional connection. LinkedIn's research on the "affect heuristic" shows that people pay more attention to brands they already have feelings about. Generic engagement metrics can't distinguish between meaningful emotional connection and surface-level interaction.
The Growth Prediction Gap: Traditional metrics can't explain why some brands achieve +910% growth while others struggle with single-digit improvements. Marketing EQ fills this gap by measuring the emotional connections that drive extraordinary business results.
The Memory Blind Spot: LinkedIn's research proves that emotions build longer-lasting and more influential memories than product details. Yet we have no standard way to measure whether our marketing creates memorable emotional experiences or forgettable rational interactions.
How to Measure Your Marketing EQ
Component 1: Self-Awareness Assessment (20 points)
Does your brand have crystal-clear purpose evident in all communications? (5 points)
Can employees and customers articulate what your brand stands for? (5 points)
Do you consistently reinforce core values across all touchpoints? (5 points)
Would customers say you "seem to know what you stand for"? (5 points)
Component 2: Self-Regulation Evaluation (20 points)
Do you maintain consistent ethical standards under pressure? (5 points)
Is your communication authentic even when addressing challenges? (5 points)
Do you admit mistakes and show genuine commitment to improvement? (5 points)
Would customers say you "behave with honesty and integrity"? (5 points)
Component 3: Motivation Measurement (20 points)
Does every customer interaction provide genuine value? (5 points)
Do you consistently seek to improve customer experiences? (5 points)
Are you constantly innovating to better serve customer needs? (5 points)
Would customers say you "try hard to deliver a good experience"? (5 points)
Component 4: Empathy Analysis (20 points)
Do you understand your customers' emotional motivators beyond functional needs? (5 points)
Does your messaging acknowledge both rational and emotional challenges? (5 points)
Do you adapt your approach based on customer feedback and changing needs? (5 points)
Would customers say you "understand people like me and what we need"? (5 points)
Component 5: Social Skills Score (20 points)
Is your communication consistently clear and jargon-free? (5 points)
Do you adapt your tone appropriately across different contexts while maintaining authenticity? (5 points)
Can you read and respond to emotional cues in customer interactions? (5 points)
Would customers say you "communicate in a clear and meaningful way"? (5 points)
Marketing EQ Score Interpretation
80-100: High Marketing EQ You're likely achieving the growth advantages Carat documented. Your brand demonstrates exceptional emotional intelligence and is positioned for sustained market leadership.
60-79: Moderate Marketing EQ You have solid foundations with significant opportunities for improvement. Focus on your lowest-scoring components for maximum impact.
40-59: Developing Marketing EQ Your brand shows some emotional intelligence but is missing major opportunities for connection and growth. Comprehensive strategy redesign recommended.
Below 40: Low Marketing EQ Your brand lacks emotional intelligence and is likely struggling with commoditisation and poor performance. Urgent transformation needed.
The Corporate Poetry Method™: Your Marketing EQ Development System
At The Corporate Poets Dept, we've developed a systematic approach to building Marketing EQ called the Corporate Poetry Method™. Our framework directly addresses each component measured in the assessment:
Emotional Origin (Builds Self-Awareness) Discover the core emotional motivator behind your brand's existence, creating the self-awareness foundation that drives all other components.
Client Emotional Journey (Develops Empathy) Map the complete emotional transformation your customers experience, ensuring you understand and address both rational and emotional needs at every stage.
Emotional Intelligence Process (Enhances Social Skills) Systematically integrate emotional awareness into all communications while maintaining the optimal balance LinkedIn's research recommends.
Emotional Legacy (Strengthens Self-Regulation & Motivation) Define the consistent emotional impact you want to create, ensuring your brand maintains integrity while continuously improving experiences.
Why Marketing EQ Matters More Than Ever
The AI Amplification Effect: As artificial intelligence handles routine marketing tasks, Marketing EQ becomes the ultimate human differentiator. The brands achieving Carat's +910% growth are those that combine technical capability with emotional intelligence.
The Attention Economy: LinkedIn's research shows that prospects pay more attention to brands they have feelings about. Higher Marketing EQ directly translates to better organic reach and engagement.
The Trust Premium: In an era of declining trust in institutions, brands with high Marketing EQ build trust advantages that translate to premium pricing and customer loyalty.
The Compound Effect: Marketing EQ advantages compound over time. Emotional connections create customer relationships that appreciate in value year after year, explaining Carat's sustained growth data.
The Competitive Advantage is Massive
While your competitors continue measuring only the mechanics of marketing, Marketing EQ gives you insight into its most powerful driver: emotional connection.
The Growth Multiplier: Carat's +910% advantage represents market domination, not incremental improvement
The Performance Premium: LinkedIn's 7x impact creates sustainable competitive moats
The Value Advantage: Harvard's 52% customer value premium compounds over time
The Memory Advantage: Emotional connections create lasting impact while competitors' messages fade
Your Marketing EQ Action Plan
Immediate Steps (This Week):
Complete the Marketing EQ assessment for your brand
Identify your lowest-scoring component
Audit your last 10 pieces of content against Marketing EQ criteria
Compare your score to your top competitor
Short-term Goals (Next 30 Days):
Develop improvement plans for your weakest Marketing EQ components
Train your team on emotional intelligence principles
Implement Marketing EQ measurement into regular reporting
Create content guidelines that include emotional intelligence checkpoints
Long-term Strategy (Next 90 Days):
Redesign your marketing strategy around Marketing EQ framework
Implement systematic emotional engagement measurement
Create feedback loops for continuous emotional intelligence improvement
Track correlation between Marketing EQ improvements and business results
Ready to Measure What Matters Most?
Get Your Marketing EQ Assessment With Our Brand Poetry Audit
Receive a comprehensive 10-page brand health report that evaluates your brand across all five components with detailed scoring and improvement recommendations.
Join the Brands Achieving +910% Growth
Ready to develop the Marketing EQ that drives extraordinary business results? Our September Brand Workshop Series uses The Corporate Poetry Method™ to help leaders systematically build emotional intelligence across all customer touch-points.
Limited to 4 intensive sessions, these workshops transform rational marketing into emotionally intelligent growth engines.
Learn more and reserve your spot at thecorporatepoetsdept.com/bootcamp
The brands that measure and improve their Marketing EQ will dominate their categories while competitors remain trapped in rational-only approaches.
Marketing EQ isn't just another metric – it's the predictor of extraordinary business growth.
The question isn't whether you should measure Marketing EQ. It's whether you can afford not to when the growth advantage is exponential.
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The Corporate Poets Dept is a brand marketing consultancy helping ambitious brands master emotionally intelligent marketing. Because the most future-proof brands are the ones built on human connection.