6 Ways to Humanize Your Brand Experience

It may seem obvious, impossible to ignore even, the emotional element that’s been infused into marketing and advertising over, I don’t know, the last 20 years? The tear jerking commercials, the touchy-feely taglines, and all the feel-good brand partnerships that seem to flood your TV, social feeds, and web browsers; all designed to make you feel something, to connect with a brand. It’s not trickery, it’s simply where we are. A product or service is no longer the main differentiator, it’s how brands make people feel that keep them coming back. Customers are looking for an enjoyable experience on top of what they already expect from a business.

They long to connect with something/someone that’s worth their time, their effort, and their money, all of which are integral to your business’ growth. Consumers are making buying decisions and judging brands with the same level of scrutiny as they would a personal connection, and while that does make our jobs more difficult, it’s a great way to force brands to own who they really are. 

The truth is, we expect what’s tangible but our curiosity and interest lie in the intangible. We no longer blindly trust something out of need, we are driven by connection, meaning and experience. We’re in it for the long game, patiently waiting like spectators as we observe how brands and people move. We need consistency, value alignment, dependability, and truth before we trust, give away our loyalty and advocate for brands. And the icing on this multi-layered “brand” cake is this emotional response needs to happen at both an individual level and at scale.

How do brands build this? How do you “humanize” your brand in a way that speaks to both the collective mind and the individual self?

Before we dive into the big picture details on how to build this, let’s discuss why this is imperative to the long-term success of a brand. 

Quick side note before we continue, the word “customer or consumer” is just a more business-centric way of saying “people or humans.” Aren’t we all customers and consumers of something? So for the remainder of this article, I’ll be using the word “people” in place of “customer” in hopes of changing the perspective from business to personal.   

With this shift in expectation, people are showing us what’s important to them. Of course we still care about product and service quality, price and accessibility, but these are all part of a traditional/transactional business experience. If you aren’t doing these 3 right, chances are you have bigger problems to worry about. What people want is to feel seen, listened to, represented, and appreciated. Yep, we want this across the board from friendships, partners and now brands.

The stakes are higher because in this new world, products don’t let us down, people do.

While these types of relationships don’t happen overnight, people at this stage of connection to a brand are more forgiving of missteps, price increases, and missed service experiences. They look at the wholeness of the relationship, determine the overall consistent value being provided to them and move with you.      

You might be thinking, well what about our competitors? What are they doing? We have to keep up! Well, what’s interesting about the idea of “competitors” is, it all changes with this perspective. If you’re on a similar playing field with product and service quality, price and accessibility, then competition becomes personalized, it becomes about your team. Your team isn’t replicable; just like there are no 2 humans that are alike, there are no other teams out there like the one you have. Your people are the life source of your brand. They are the ones creating the experiences, listening to feedback, and supporting and valuing everyone that interacts with your brand. Putting people at the center of everything you do, everything you are, is the best way to authentically connect with others. Determine what culture style fits your team and nurture the hell out of the people that bring your brand to life. In the end, your culture is not something your competitors can duplicate. 

And finally when you’re in harmony with your human-centric brand, your sales go up, your people grow (both audience and team) and you become known for the exact thing you want to be known for; that special something that no one else can explain, all they know is they love you for it. 

So how do you go from business experience to a humanized brand experience? 

1. Determine what emotional connection aligns with who you are, as a brand and as a team.
   How do you want people to feel? How will that feeling benefit them? Does this emotional connection tie into a shared aspirational vision? What can you do to deepen that connection? What struggle can you share, how “real” are you willing to be?
   

2. Understand behavior patterns.
   Do your research. Ask yourself, your team, your audience when, why and at what point do they go from satisfied to delighted to loyal?
   

3. Look for opportunities to increase and/or add value to the overall experience.
   How are people responding to service interactions, to offers, to your brand’s culture? Can you add value anywhere, for anyone, at any stage, to make the experience more relatable and aligned with who they are, who you are? What intangible yet highly valuable experience can you offer your team?
   

4. Determine a consistent feedback loop with research, observation, data, and interviews.
   This is often the hardest but so necessary. The time and place you ask or conduct this research is key to establishing trust with your people. Getting honest feedback will be hard at first, but the longer the relationship, the more interactions shared, the more trust and truth will be revealed. 
   

5. Build an internal structure that can withstand the fluidity of human relationships.
   We are emotional beings. When you put teams of people together each individual brings something unique to the table including their emotional responses and behaviors. How can you create and hold space for people to express this, freely and feel valued for doing so. 

6. Every “people” experience is an opportunity to care, show respect and imagine yourself in their shoes.
   ”Customer service” is the ultimate opportunity for your team to deliver a highly-personalized brand experience. It’s the moment of truth for your brand to live its values, to prove why you’re the best. Teach your team to listen first, be empathic, and remember we are all just people working through problems and going through life. Your team has the power, at that very moment, to make the relationship stronger, provide support and maybe make their day a little better, even if just for a brief exchange.

None of this is easy work but slow and steady wins the race. Think about it, the first time you meet someone is a significantly different experience than the 5th, 6th or 30th time being around them. You loosen up, you share more of who you are, you feel safer, appreciated and more comfortable around them. Remember this the next time you and/or your brand, interact with a person.

We can get lost in knowing who we are and thinking that everyone should just know, know that we have the best product, the best team, the best quality, the best brand, etc. We can forget there’s always a first impression out there waiting to happen. Give that potential connection a chance to experience something true, something authentic, something they want to commit to. After all, exceeding expectations is much better than simply matching them.

Reference: Deloitte Digital: Creating human connection at enterprise scale.