It’s 2022: data is at the forefront of our world. Consumers have been reduced from being seen through corporate eyes as individual humans, to simply being a compilation of data. Putting our most impressive statistics forward may very well prove that your company is “the best” at what you do, but that is not always the most effective way to market your brand. As the world continues to undergo digital transformation, where does that leave our human and authentic connections? In the world of communications, cutting through clutter is top priority. Empathy marketing may just be the way for brands and comms teams to leverage the human and authentic parts of your business to set yourself apart and deepen brand loyalty.
As described by Marketing Insider Group, “Empathy-based marketing involves seeing through the eyes of your customers. To be truly customer-centric, marketers must gain a deep understanding of who their customers are, the challenges they’re facing, and what motivates them to act.” Figuring out who your customers are is the first step– that’s where data is king. At our fingertips we can find out who interacts with what brands, products, and myriad other insights. But with empathy marketing, that’s exactly where the data should end. According to PwC, 64% of U.S. consumers and 59% of all consumers feel companies have lost touch with the human element of the customer experience. Think about how the pandemic has severed so many ties of human connection. It makes sense that showcasing a human side to business can reel in the millions of consumers that crave it.
There is a balance, though. We are fortunate to be living in a time where technology has advanced as such, giving us limitless resources and data to access. But at what point do the scales even out? Take Sendoso, the leading sending platform for corporate gifting and marketing teams. They have built a data-driven foundation for their platform that allows businesses to see the ROI of different gifting aspects. You can see what categories of gifts have higher response rates and pre-existing data from other platforms like Salesforce, Hubspot, and Marketo to fine-tune the gift that will prove most meaningful to the recipient. Using customized, branded packaging and handwritten notes within, the gifting experience feels natural and authentic. Think about how you feel when you receive an unsolicited gift that is tailored to your taste, rather than receiving generic corporate swag or boring email pitches that go unread. Far more impactful, I’ll bet.
Sendoso is certainly not the only sending platform out there, nor is gifting the only way to utilize empathy marketing to deepen relationships between brand and consumer, or between professional liaisons. But that feeling we get when receiving a gift that is unexpected and perfect for you? That’s the empathy that more and more businesses are looking to showcase. Selling products or services is easy, but putting forth the effort to understand, nurture and deepen customer relationships is what really creates brand loyalty.
Want to learn more? Do you think your brand isn’t utilizing empathy marketing to it’s fullest potential? Reach out to our team to talk all things strategy, data and communications.