Brand perception greatly influences shopping decisions as it shapes how consumers view and interact with a brand. It can be influenced by various factors such as product quality, customer service, marketing activities and word-of-mouth. Here's how it affects shopping decisions:

1. **Brand Trust**: If consumers perceive a brand as trustworthy, they're more likely to buy products or services from it. Trust can be formed through quality products, excellent service, and consistent branding.

2. **Brand Recognition**: The more familiar a consumer is with a brand, the more comfortable they often feel purchasing from it. Effective branding strategies can ensure a brand is recognizable and memorable, which can in turn, impact consumers' shopping decisions.

3. **Brand Associations**: Consumers often associate brands with certain characteristics or qualities. If these associations align with a consumer's values or expectations, they're more likely to purchase from the brand.

4. **Perceived Quality**: The perceived quality of a brand's product or service can heavily influence a consumers' buying decision. Superior perceived quality can command a higher price point and often leads to consumer loyalty.

5. **Social Proof**: Perceptions can also be influenced by others' opinions, also known as "social proof". Positive reviews or testimonials can influence consumers into believing that the brand is reliable and trustworthy.

6. **Emotional Connection**: Brands that engage and create an emotional connection with their customers often influence shopping decisions. This connection can be created through storytelling, appealing to emotions directly or an alignment with the consumer's personal identity or lifestyle.

7. **Brand's Social Responsibility**: More and more consumers are considering a brand's social responsibility in their shopping decisions. A positive perception of a brand's ethical standards can heavily influence their willingness to purchase. 

Ultimately, brand perception is all about how a consumer interprets a brand based on their experiences and the information they have available. A positive brand perception makes a consumer more likely to buy from that brand and also more likely to become a loyal customer.

Creating an emotional connection with customers is essential for a brand as it deepens customer loyalty and sets the stage for long-term success. Here are several ways a brand can foster such a connection:

1. **Understand Your Audience**: Firstly, brands need to understand their customers deeply. This includes their needs, desires, aspirations, fears, and problems. This can be achieved through customer interviews, surveys, and market research.

2. **Telling a Compelling Story**: Every brand has a story to tell. Sharing the brand's history, mission, values, achievements, and future goals can forge a connection with customers. Stories are powerful because they're memorable and meaningful, and can evoke emotions effectively.

3. **Deliver Consistently Exceptional Customer Service**: Positive and personalized customer service experiences can nurture deeper emotional connections with a brand. When customers feel that a brand goes above and beyond to meet their needs, they're likely to develop a strong, emotional tie with it.

4. **Personalization**: Customers appreciate when a brand acknowledges them as individuals. Brands can achieve this through personalized messages, recommendations, or offers based on the customer's past behavior, preferences, or needs.

5. **Core Values and Social Responsibility**: If a brand's core values align with those of its customers, it can establish a powerful emotional bond. This includes a brand's stance on social or environmental issues, their contributions to the community, or their commitment to ethical business practices.

6. **Exclusivity and Community**: Offering exclusive benefits to loyal customers or creating a sense of community around the brand can also foster stronger emotional connections. Customers can feel a sense of belonging or prestige associating with the brand.

7. **Evoke the Desired Emotion in Marketing**: Use colors, images, music, and words that evoke the desired emotion in your advertising and marketing material. Different elements can elicit different emotional responses, and understanding this is a key part of emotional marketing.

Remember, building emotional connections is not an overnight job, it takes time, consistency, authenticity, and a genuine appreciation and understanding of your customers.

Effectively communicating core values is crucial for a brand as it can help build trust, resonate with customers, and differentiate from competitors. Here are several strategies a brand can use to effectively communicate its core values:

1. **Consistent Messaging**: Embed your core values in all your communication channels, be it website, social media, newsletters, packaging, or advertising campaigns. The more consistent your message, the stronger your values will resonate with customers.

2. **Storytelling**: Stories can create emotional connections and make abstract values come alive. Share stories that exemplify your brand's values, such as how your company was founded, challenges you  ve overcome, or experiences of real customers.

3. **Visual Imagery**: Utilizing visual elements like photos, infographics, or videos can play a key role in conveying your brand's values. Visual content is typically more engaging and can often communicate complex messages more succinctly than text alone.

4. **Demonstrating Values through Actions**: Show how your brand lives its core values through actions. This may include community involvement, support of social causes, sustainable practices, or exceptional customer service. Authentic actions speak louder than words.

5. **Employee Advocacy**: Your employees are ambassadors for your brand values. Encourage them to embody these values and share their experiences publicly, like on their personal social media platforms.

6. **Partnerships**: Partner with other companies or organizations that align with your brand values. This amplifies your message and demonstrates commitment to your values.

7. **Customer Testimonials**: The experiences and words of satisfied customers can be a powerful tool to communicate your values. Positive reviews and testimonials can demonstrate how your brand delivers on its values from a customer  s viewpoint.

8. **Clear and Simple Language**: Lastly, make sure your values are expressed clearly and understandably. Avoid jargon and aim for simple, universal terms that can be easily understood.

Remember, it  s not just about telling people what your values are, it  s about demonstrating through every aspect of your business that those values guide your decisions and actions.