Over the last few years, businesses have had to think carefully about how they market their products and services. With the cost-of-living crisis and the impact of COVID-19 on people’s wellbeing and finances, companies need to ensure that their marketing strategy is empathetic and sensitive to their customers’ needs.
In this blog post, we’ll look at some UK brands adopting an empathetic approach but first, let’s consider:
What is empathetic marketing and how can brands get it right?
Empathetic marketing means acknowledging and embracing the role that emotion plays in making decisions. It aims to improve marketing effectiveness and increase customer engagement by demonstrating a genuine understanding and concern for individuals’ needs and pain points. It can increase customer retention as it builds trust, creates lasting, emotional connections, and helps your audience recognise you as a brand that shares its values. An empathetic approach can also boost sales effectiveness - a proposition based on true understanding will be more relevant and compelling.
To realise these benefits, however, brands must get empathetic marketing right.
So, what does “right” look like in this context?
Alongside empathy, 2022 saw a rise in the importance of authenticity. For us, the two go hand in hand. If your campaign is designed to appeal to your customers’ feelings and motivations, it must be based on real customer insight or risk jarring as it hits the wrong note. Your campaign message must also be in tune with your company’s brand values within an ongoing strategy or else appear superficial, potentially opportunistic, and negatively impact your brand.
This approach can be applied in both B2C and B2B, as ultimately decisions are made by individuals in both cases. Here are some examples of brands doing it well.
Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer has long been known for its commitment to sustainability and ethical production methods and this theme extends into its marketing strategy. The company recently launched the latest phase of its ‘Plan A’ campaign which focuses on its commitment to reducing waste and helping support local communities. As well as promoting its own sustainability goals, the campaign also aims to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable living in general.
M&S is also doing a great job of connecting with its audience on an emotional level through its social media channels. By sharing stories from real-life customers and employees, the brand demonstrates its connection to the real world, its understanding of the struggles many people are facing, whilst also showing how it is helping them through this difficult time.
WeTransfer
As mentioned earlier, empathetic, emotional marketing isn’t limited to B2C. WeTransfer’s value statement is “creating beautifully obvious tools to keep your ideas moving.” Their brand purpose is to help users be more creative and, rather than just a slogan, this is a mindset fed by real insight and applied across the whole business. Their annual ‘Ideas Report’ surveys thousands of creative workers to capture their current thoughts, ideas, worries and concerns. It also looks at how creatives are feeling in their roles right now, and their prospects going forward.
WeTransfer demonstrates they are genuinely empathetic and interested in understanding what makes their audience “tick”. The brand is making an investment in their community and showing that they understand what that community needs to feel valued.
Lush
Lush is a great example of a business with a truly empathetic and ethical marketing approach. In 2020-21, Lush donated over £14 million to support nearly 800 charities worldwide. This included direct donations, grants, partnerships, and other initiatives such as providing educational materials and resources for schools in Bali. Lush aims to inspire others to make a difference in their own way, whatever shape or form that takes.
This commitment to giving back is deeply rooted in the company’s values and ethos, and the Corporate Social Responsibility projects it undertakes are authentic and true to its brand purpose. It is a classic case of “show don’t tell” and the impact is strong.
By taking an empathetic and ethical approach when creating marketing campaigns and initiatives - not only do you create more meaningful connections with your target audience but you ultimately help make a positive difference in society too. However, it is important that any initiative is based on genuine empathy towards customer needs as well as wider societal issues, or it will be seen as a superficial ploy to sell more product and tarnish your brand reputation.
Now more than ever, it is vital that brands stand by their customers and take a sensitive, caring approach. Whether using surveys and market research to deepen insight, delivering sensitive, personalised service through real agents, or adopting an emotionally intelligent sales approach, nothing is as empathic as a human touch.
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