How to Get Empathetic Marketing Right?

Empathy is the basis of an effective marketing strategy. But it’s not always cleverly conveyed. Almost immediately after the pandemic hit, marketers began an “unprecedented” wave, sending out one message after another to support frontline workers and rally together. However, two years later, this kind of mass messaging in the midst of collective suffering has become hollow. But that doesn’t mean that emotion and brand connection are unnecessary – quite the opposite, in fact. Truly empathetic means genuine, and emotional marketing campaigns crafted to capture cultural moments mean insincere at best and, at worst, manipulative. Authentic empathy creates authentic connections between brands and customers.

Nike and Ikea featured particularly strong narrative ads at the start of the pandemic. However, many other brands – from fashion companies selling new clothes to more lavish “stay shops” or Loon offering 20% ​​off e-cigarettes with the promo code “stay safe”, just to name two examples – tried to find a way into the “we’re in this conversation” conversation with little or no success.

To that end, these three strategies can help you personalize your message, elicit genuine compassion, and create a strong connection with your customers:

1. Keep one ear to the ground.

If the past few years have taught you anything, it’s that a lot can change in a short time. With that in mind, you need to keep an eye on your customers’ wants, needs, and pain points. Otherwise, you will look completely disconnected.

How you engage customers to gather this information will vary based on many factors, including your specific industry and whether you operate in the B2B or B2C space. However, be sure to balance so-called “anecdotal data” (i.e. evidence based on stated personal preferences rather than actual behavioral data) with data about actual decisions people make. giver. Sometimes people’s real preferences differ from their stated preferences because people tend to answer questions based on their ideal version of themselves. This is why someone can claim to be an avid NPR listener (stated preference) when they’re actually hanging out with Britney Spears on their morning commute (preference revealed).

For example, if you are a pure e-commerce business, you can use focus groups and ask users to complete a survey, but you also need to track the actual behavior of your website users. and compare the results. Plus, consider adding interactivity to learn more about your customers’ buying and browsing habits. Being able to truly understand the other person’s point of view is the cornerstone of empathy marketing. Seeing the world from a user’s perspective puts the customer at the heart of your strategy and execution.

2. Give customers the power of choice.

Holiday campaigns are a valuable way to raise awareness of your brand and showcase its personality. Unfortunately, holidays like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day can be painful reminders for some of the loved ones lost or estranged. That’s why marketing teams at brands ranging from Pandora to the Democratic National Committee recently experimented with “opt-out” emails for the big holidays. For example, consider this post from Etsy:

“We understand that Mother’s Day can be a difficult time for some. If you don’t want to receive emails from us about Mother’s Day this year, let us know by opting out below. We’ll always keep you updated with unique finds we think you’ll like, just no Mother’s Day messages.

While some might argue that providing an unsubscribe option can be more triggering than traditional marketing emails that are typically sent, I firmly believe that allowing customers to choose how they interact with you is the ultimate act of empathic marketing. Additionally, marketing technology is advanced enough to make it easy to segment your audience to send or retain specific messages.

While this is the first year that luggage brand Away has offered an opt-out option for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day emails, it won’t be the last. According to a company representative, more than 4,000 Away email subscribers have unsubscribed from the holiday emails, and another 250 have sent messages to the company expressing gratitude for the company’s thoughtfulness. Expect more brands to follow suit.

3. Set the tone with visuals.

The last thing you want is for your target audience to perceive your empathic message as superficial or false. To minimize the chance of your message appearing superficial, use visual design to set the tone. And whatever you do, make sure it aligns with the brand you’ve created.

A great example of visually authentic design is the professional services company, Ernst & Young. The subject is relatively mundane, but when you visit its website, you’ll see photos of diversity, nature, and aspiration, which fit very well with the brand’s empathetic tagline:
“Building a better working world.”

Also, ask yourself:
Can you redesign your design to be more relevant and ingenious? According to The Vision Council, three-quarters of people use some form of vision correction. So a more tailored approach to design that doesn’t clutter and doesn’t strain your eyes can position your business as an empathetic and collaborative business.

Again, authenticity is key. Avoid images that provoke toxic positivity (which could be considered insensitive) and certainly avoid Hallmark stock footage. Make sure your brand image takes into account the wide range of experiences people may have:
The good and the bad and the bad. The ability to understand the other person’s point of view has always been paramount in marketing, and this is especially true in times when we feel like we’re all drowning in collective suffering. However, to be successful with empathy marketing, it must be personalized and authentic. There’s no such thing as faking it until you make it, so let’s get to it.