2020 was an emotional rollercoaster. A global pandemic, economic upheaval, social unrest, and a contentious election have all left consumers reeling.

Marketers know that emotion is the biggest driver of purchase decisions and naturally attempt to tap into these turbulent consumer emotions. But those attempts can fall flat (see: this mash-up of pandemic advertisements that all sound identical), because marketers don’t always have a clear understanding of how emotion shapes consumer decision-making. Old stigmas and misconceptions about emotion still abound, limiting enterprisewide ability to be intentional about using emotion in customer interactions.

To make emotion a little easier to grapple with in 2021, we’ve assembled a compendium of Forrester’s existing research on emotion, with the help of analysts across a variety of coverage areas. This research will help CMOs — and other leaders across the enterprise — rethink the dynamics of emotion, understand its impact on consumer decision-making, and incorporate emotion in every function of the organization.

Check out our new “Research Overview: Emotion,” and be on the lookout for more emotion research coming soon in 2021. And of course, if you have questions, set up an inquiry.