Communication is personal.
Since the pandemic started, we have been dealing with distance — remote work, social distancing, virtual happy hours, online shopping…
These things aren't going away, and in some cases the pandemic has helped to drive digital transformation and provide increased access to goods and services for people who didn’t have it before.
But one of the challenges that comes with our increasingly digital world is figuring out how to keep things personal and authentic. It can be easy to downplay the importance of these things, but studies have shown that humans crave social interaction the way we crave food. So, if you think it’s not that important, even in business, think again.
Communication that feels human is important for brands, because it builds stronger relationships with customers, establishes trust, and makes it easier to relate to the target market. Ultimately, this leads to more engagement, sales, loyalty, and a higher customer lifetime value.
Human connections provide a level of understanding that cannot be replicated through virtual means alone. When people meet face-to-face or interact on a personal level, they are often able to develop a better understanding of each other’s needs and desires. This knowledge can then help to build relationships between customers and employees which can result in improved customer satisfaction and loyalty—allowing businesses to build profitable long-term customer relationships.
Human connections also allow businesses to gain valuable feedback. When engaging with customers directly via face-to-face meetings or conversations, businesses can easily determine their opinions on products or services—which can then be used to inform business decisions such as product design or marketing efforts.
So, although digital tools may be necessary for conducting business in the modern world, it is important to remember the importance of making meaningful connections with people—as this can often lead to more successful outcomes than virtual interactions alone.
Brands need to find ways to make real connections with their customers, because they just might be craving it.
Why it Matters
Engagement
Human communication your brand helps to build stronger relationships with customers and potential customers. By creating content that is targeted toward specific audiences, you can ensure that people feel a personal connection to your business and create an emotional attachment to it. This will help to increase engagement and foster loyalty between you and your customers.
Trust
People prefer doing business with brands they trust, so the humanization of your brand can help to build up this essential element of successful marketing. Showing the faces behind the company can allow people to connect more easily, as well as help them see that there are real people operating the business and not just robots or automated systems. Customers are better able to understand who is managing the company and how decisions are made. This helps to build up trust and can also provide valuable insights for those curious about the inner workings of the business.
Relatability
Humanizing your brand makes it easier for people to relate to your product or service, as well as helping them feel an emotional connection towards it. By providing content from real people, you can ensure that potential customers get an accurate picture of what they’ll receive when they purchase from you, making their decision-making process much easier.
These are just a few of the reasons why human communication is important in branding. With the right strategies in place, you can ensure that your business stands out amongst competitors and successfully connects with its target audiences. Humanizing your brand can be a powerful tool for increasing engagement, trust, and creating a feeling of authenticity; all of which play essential roles in marketing success.
How to Achieve It
Highlight Your Brand's Values
Make sure that you are communicating the values that your brand stands for in all of your branding communications. Doing so will help to make your messages feel more human and relatable, as people can relate to shared values and beliefs.
Tell Stories
People love stories—they're part of what makes us human. Leverage storytelling in your branding communications to make them more engaging and memorable. Focus on highlighting real people, experiences, or scenarios that are related to the brand to create an emotional connection with your audience.
Make it Personal
Personalization is key when it comes to making your branding communications feel more human. Use personalized messaging tactics such as addressing people by name and using location-specific imagery to make your messages more relatable.
Create a Conversation
In addition to creating content, find ways to start conversations with customers and potential customers. This could mean responding to comments on social media posts or hosting online events that give people the chance to engage with your brand.
Show Your Personality
Don't be afraid to show a bit of personality in your branding communications—it's an essential part of making them feel more human. Use humor, share behind-the-scenes insights, or highlight the people that make up your team and organization. Doing so will help build a genuine connection with your audience.
Get Involved in the Community
This can be done through charity work, sponsorships, or even just by being vocal about your support for certain causes. People want to see brands making real connections with them. Being vocal and visible through community work is an easy way to forge that connection.
Focus on Customer Service
This may mean offering more flexible return policies, providing live chat support, or just being available to answer questions. Customers appreciate businesses that go the extra mile to make sure they're happy, and they'll be more likely to do business with you in the future.
Creating meaningful connections and conveying meaningful messages
It can take some extra work for brands to make meaningful and human connections with consumers. But there are some that manage to do it well — and their efforts pay off.
Dove, which was founded in 1957 as a bar of white soap, has grown into an iconic brand that is now synonymous with beauty and self-confidence. Through its advertising campaigns, Dove aims to spread the message that all women are beautiful regardless of their shape or size. This positive messaging has resonated with millions of people all over the world, making Dove one of the most beloved and iconic beauty brands today.
The brand’s success is driven in part by its ability to create meaningful connections with consumers through powerful storytelling and emotionally-driven visual content.
Dove’s viral “Real Beauty” campaign is an example of this approach in action. Launched in 2004, it featured billboards that pictured everyday women instead of models in an effort to shed light on the devastating impacts of the beauty industry and its traditional advertising methods. The billboards featured women’s faces and tick boxes, Dove presented viewers with a choice — “flawed” or “flawless”? “fat” or “fit”? “grey” or “gorgeous”? Members of the public were able to text their answers, and the vote counts were displayed next to the billboard images. The campaign resonated with women everywhere and started a powerful conversation about how women are portrayed and made to feel in typical advertising. As a result, Dove not only saw a boost in sales, but it was also able to redefine itself as a brand that cares about people, and women, in particular.
Since then, Dove has been committed to its messaging that all women are beautiful, regardless of their differences. From television commercials to social media, its messaging is consistent, clear and always seeking to make authentic human connections with its viewers.
And it's backed up its marketing with real-world action, partnering with and supporting organizations to raise awareness about bullying and promote self esteem education.
Dove also uses its website to create more personal connections with its audience. Its “My Beauty Profile” tool allows users to take a quiz and get personalized beauty tips tailored to their individual needs. The website also serves as a hub where people can talk about beauty-related topics and connect with one another.
Through creative storytelling, emotionally-driven visual content and engaging digital experiences, Dove has been able to forge strong relationships with its customers. By creating meaningful connections with their consumers, Dove has become one of the best-known beauty brands in the world, having been able to create a strong and human connection with consumers.