Empathetic branding is a strategy used by brand managers/marketeers wherein they appeal to the emotions of the target audience via their marketing campaign. In this tactic, the company intends to create a personalised interaction with the target audience.
History and Etymology For Empathy
The word Empathy is a combination of two Greek phrases, em (in) and pathos (feelings), which later became Empatheia. By the early 20th century, the word Empathy was introduced in English diction.
According to influential psychologist Daniel Goleman, empathy is one of the five key components of emotional intelligence – a vital leadership skill. It develops through three stages: cognitive empathy, emotional empathy, and compassionate empathy.
Cognitive empathy is the ability to understand what another person might be thinking or feeling. It need not involve any emotional engagement by the observer.
Emotional empathy is the ability to share the feelings of another person, and so to understand that person on a deeper level.
Compassionate empathy is the most active form of empathy. It involves not only having concern for another person, and sharing their emotional pain, but also taking practical steps to reduce it.
Current Trends In Empathetic Branding
Marketers don't just sell products; they sell emotions
David Ogilvy quoted it, “Consumers don’t think how they feel. They don’t say what they think, and they don’t do what they say.”
There is a contradiction in their feeling, needing, and wanting.
Humans exhibit different emotions and are complex beings, but marketers can increase consumers’ attention and directly affect purchase decisions by connecting with their emotional desires and needs.
Brands capitalised extensively on Empathy in 2020 due to the pandemic's outbreak, which led to a digital renaissance accompanied by social distancing but strong online connection.
The Science Behind Empathetic Branding
Humans are hardwired to empathize because we closely connect with people close to us, like our family, friends, spouses, and lovers.
When brands use this emotion efficiently, it increases the recall value of their products.
Empathy is an emotion that can release dopamine in the brain. Empathetic branding enhances the brand's recall value and engages the brain, including the amygdala, the brain's memory centre. These tactics create a profound and lasting impact on people's minds.
Recent Campaigns
How Surf Excel aligned its communication along the lines of the agony of children who could not go out and play with their friends
Surf Excel launched a campaign #BachpanJaraRUKJA
The pandemic made it difficult for children to explore out and have fun with their friends. Surf Excel as a brand has always stood for the idea of exploring having new experiences. It stood to its brand promise while empathizing with the children and still encouraging them to play and make the best of their time with their family. This branding strategy also empathizes with the parents of young children who find it difficult to their children entertained, Surf Excel thus was able to position itself well by keeping itself in the shoes of its target audience and delivering an alternate solution to their problems.
How NIVEA crafted an empathetic and emotional campaign during the COVID 19 outbreak
NIVEA launched a campaign #sharethecare.
The content created by the team does not talk about their product but shows its gratitude towards front line workers and motivates people to be hopeful in challenging times. The video starts with empty roads, overstrained doctors, teachers teaching on a video call, etc. As a brand, Nivea conveys that they empathize with our current situation and care for society. Besides, the team also added background music, 'stand by me,' to associate the brand as warm and cheerful. The brand emphasized the need to show love and care for humanity during this lockdown. With this campaign, they are sending the message that they resonate with the current mindset of people. They have created the brand archetype of a trusted and reliable product.
Future of Empathetic Branding
Data-Driven Empathy
Marketers are turning to an ever-increasing number of digital signals and data sources to assess transactional data, declared interests and preferences. Combined with AI, marketers can achieve personalization across the journey at scale by distilling insights from data and guiding teams on how best to take action.
Empathy At Every Level
The strongest businesses going forward will be known for how their meaning and purpose-led behaviour enhances both individual and collective well-being. They only reach this strong position by embracing empathy every step of the way.
Empathetic Employees
If companies want to have empathetic brands, they need to recruit, hire, and promote empathetic people. To do this, companies need to assess empathy skills during employee recruitment and prioritize them when making hiring decisions
How Can Brands Leverage Empathetic Branding
Kia Seltos
The brand currently plays on its features and the fact that it gives the best off-road experiences. It makes its customers feel all the more powerful and enthusiastic
The brand can definitely opt for an empathetic approach wherein it can position itself as a family car, as majority car buying is a family decision. It can empathize with families as to how they cannot come in contact with other people, but travelling in KIA with their family is safe.
Snickers Chocolate Bar
Snickers' advertisement claims that hunger causes heroine-like tantrums in people but can be reduced by consuming a particular chocolate bar. There isn't any proof to back this claim, and, on the contrary, it is sexist and condescending as it ascribes people who are hungry to act like a crazy heroine. The campaign was not successful and received negative publicity.
The brand had positioned the product as a bar that satisfies hunger and as an energy bar.
The rationale used by the brand in the campaign is baseless and does not resonate/carve a unique spot in the mind of consumers. Cadbury, on the contrary, has overtaken the traditional Indian mithai in India. They have used the concept of empathetic branding with campaigns like, 'Kuch Meetha Ho Jae,' 'Pehli Tareek hai,' etc.
Snicker should have capitalized on its positioning, i.e., energy bar, to appeal to the target audience's conscience.
Also Read: 5 Best TED Talks That Every Marketer Must Watch