Tim Leon
President/Brand Strategist

Brands making an emotional connection are more important than ever

As we enter into 2022, brands continue riding the pandemic rollercoaster. Continued surges and the omicron variant cause more turbulence than we anticipated.  Booster vaccinations , increased hospitalization rates, and worker shortages continue to be part of the national conversation.  And that has marketers searching for stability in a sea of uncertainty.

That stability comes in the form of empathy.  Marketers continue to be challenged with finding the right brand messaging as consumers become more and more stressed while also dealing with both the impact of and fatigue from the pandemic, with sentiments seemingly shifting even from week to week.

According to Adobe’s 2021 Digital Trends Report, “empathy is the future of experience.  Consumer empathy will be used as a differentiator with brands demonstrating knowledge of their customers and the unique way they can serve them.”

As brand marketers, we must be hypersensitive to consumes’ emotional states. It’s essential to understand both their needs and the root causes of the emotions that they are experiencing. At G/L, we have been talking about empathy marketing for the past 24 months. At this point, empathy has become imperative if a brand wishes to hold onto market share and brand loyalty.

It’s fair to say that empathy engenders customer loyalty. Brands that demonstrate, day in and day out, that they “get you” will inevitably come out on top. And with the rise of immersive digital experiences and vast opportunities for discussion on social media, brands that can deliver a consistent, pleasurable online experience that connects emotionally will stand out.

How can you integrate empathy into your marketing? It begins with consistently analyzing consumer insights to determine trends and gain insights into consumer behavior. How do you translate those insights into actionable marketing and communications? We advise you to begin with simply using your listening skills and be human as you create and strategize campaigns for your brands.

If you would like to discover how to empathy marketing improve both your brand and the people in the markets you serve, get in touch. We are truly passionate about adding a big dose of humanity to your brand.