Quick Guide to Empathetic Marketing
5 MIN READ
If you’ve been reading our blogs or subscribe to our newsletter, you know that the B&B team has been talking a ton lately about empathetic marketing. We looked at holiday marketing through the lens of empathy and even created a whole (free!) eBook on the subject.
But we also understand that you’ve got a lot on your plate and might not have the time to dive into an eBook. That’s why we’ve put together a quick start guide that’ll introduce you to the four key tenets of empathetic marketing. Once you know these building blocks, you can use them to guide your future marketing campaigns. We have no doubt that you’ll see such great results from introducing these four key components that you’ll be diving into the complete empathetic marketing process featured in our eBook in no time!
Emotion-Focused Listening
We’ve all had that moment where we’re listening to someone, but already anticipating their answer in our heads. Marketers in particular are extremely guilty of this. In fact, one study determined the more empathetic marketers thought they were, the more likely they were to incorrectly predict customers’ emotional response.
Not only do marketers need to work on the active listening skills, but we also need to take time to understand our own biases and personal preferences that may be coloring our interpretations of customers’ emotions. A good place to start is Harvard’s Project Implicit, which will help you uncover any preconceived notions you may not realize you have.
As you take the time to learn more about your biases, you’ll be able to develop a better understanding of the emotions at play behind every decision your target audience makes. With this new insight, you’ll be able to look at reviews, comments, and any other forms of social listening and be able to identify emotional patterns among your audience to incorporate in your marketing messaging.
Personalization
When it comes to empathetic marketing and personalization, we’re not talking about customizing your newsletter with the recipient's name. To truly create a personalized experience for your target audience, you must be able to identify what their core values are. Or, as we like to say, what do they stand for?
On the surface, you would think that values would be deeply varied, considering the wide variety of human experiences. However, Valuegraphics, a leading global research organization, found there are 56 core values that are shared by people across the world. By tapping into these values and seeing which ones resonate most with your target audience, you’ll be able to understand what is most important to them and how that relates to what they stand for and the brands they support.
Transparency
In a world where clickbait and social media hooks seemingly reign supreme, relying on transparency can feel like a bit of a bummer. But if you’re reading this, I know that brand integrity is extremely important to you, which will serve you well in the long run. Consumers crave transparency from the brands they support, and unrealistic claims will only set them up for disappointment.
Across your messaging and your actions, it’s important to convey the truth behind what you’re offering and well represent the communities you’re serving. For example, a pitfall that many large brands fall into is using sustainable materials in their offerings, but then creating unethical working conditions for the people who manufacture those same products. Younger consumers are closely monitoring this type of behavior and will quickly point out any hypocrisy they perceive in your brand.
By prioritizing transparency, you eliminate the potential for this type of backlash and build trust within your community, making it more likely that customers will recommend your brand to their friends and followers in the future.
Unpredictability
One surprising yet impactful element of empathetic marketing is the need to be a little unpredictable. All consumers are experiencing some sort of fatigue from the same content overwhelming their inboxes and social media feeds. To catch attention and show your community you’re paying attention, it’s important to add a dash of spontaneity to your marketing plan.
Adding a few out of the box initiatives can help you go from tired to trending. Just think of Stanley's response to the tumbler that withstood a car fire. By paying attention to how the Stanley community and beyond were responding to the incredible video, Stanley made a TikTok that was unlike their normal content. The president of Stanley jumped in front of the camera to say he was glad she was safe and to say he was thankful for her showcasing how Stanleys are built for life. So thankful, in fact, Stanley will do something they’d never done before and will probably never do again: buy her a brand new car to replace the one destroyed in the fire.
Not only did it go viral, but it also won the hearts and minds of millions of people who saw the story and were impressed not only by the cup’s quality but also by Stanley’s compassion and appreciation for the woman who created the video.
Empathetic Marketing Resources
With that, you now know the four tenets of empathetic marketing and can begin incorporating these elements into your marketing strategies.
To continue learning more about empathetic marketing, check out the following resources:
The New Empathetic Marketing: A Guide to Connection & Conversion (B&B’s free eBook)
MarTech Podcast: Replacing Cookies with Empathy-Based Personas with Emily Lyman
Rebrand Podcast: How to Increase Traffic Through Empathy-Based Marketing with Emily Lyman
We believe wholeheartedly in the power of empathetic marketing and are here to help you transition your marketing strategy to include more empathy. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about how we can help, send us a message!
