Coca-Cola symbolizes youth, passion and love.

Cadbury symbolizes Celebrations and Festivity.

Apple represents Creativity and Imagination.

Nike represents performance and athleticism

And the list goes on…

Why is it even important for a brand to show it’s human side?

The brand in its every initiative thinks from the consumer standpoint. Focus is always on Customer Interaction, Customer Journey, Customer Experience and the processes are usually customer-centric, customer-obsessed and customer-first. But, how does a consumer look at a brand, makes all the difference.

The objective should be to shed off the soulless corporate - “we mean business” only aura. Vibes are everything.

A consumer feels more connected with the values and emotions of the brand. The sense of belongingness arrives from mutually shared emotions and values.

Consumers with an emotional connection with the brand have a 306% higher lifetime value and stay with the brand for an average of 5.1 years vs 3.4 years Source: Motista

How to make your brand more Human?

Let’s find out these 5 tips, that will help your brand build relationship with your consumer, like a human.

1. Story Telling

Who doesn’t like a good story? A story of struggle, grit, perseverance, glory and a happy ending will build a strong liking to the organisation. For your humanised brand to come through naturally, you need to tell stories, not just sell products. The stories you tell should make your audience see your business as a likeable, relatable person that represents your brand.

2. Respect and Celebrate your Staff

A staff who feels respected will always willingly and happily walk an extra mile for the organisation. Your relationship with your employees gives people a unique insight into what your business is really like on the inside, simultaneously reflecting the company culture. Ultimately its your employees that make your brand what it is.

3. Understand, Communicate and Take Action on your Social Responsibilities

If a business is causing serious damage to the environment and unapologetically ignores their actions or intent for resolve, then there’s nothing human about that brand. Having empathy for the environment and contributing to a noble cause, shows how serious you are with your social responsibility.

Some steps that can significantly build a more liking to your brand are:

• Reducing carbon footprint
• Improving Labour Policies
• Participating in Fairtrade
• Exercising Diversity, Equality and Inclusion
• Charitable activities
• Participation in activities that builds and strengthens community
• Socially and environmentally conscious investments

4. Make an impact. Educate.

For your marketing to feel human, it needs to show that your brand understands what your audience wants and needs.

Instead of pushing features, talk about solutions. Tell your audience what it is about your product or service that will make their lives better and how.

5. In the end, it’s not what you say, it’s what you do

Today’s consumer can spot disingenuous marketing shenanigans from a mile. To an extent, this has probably always been the case, but the difference now is that audiences have social media platforms to call brands out for saying they’re one thing and acting like another.

Jumping on band-wagons or trying to capitalise on important causes is never a good look. The best way to avoid these marketing faux-pas is to humanise your brand from the inside out. Take your brand personality from what your business values and the way it already behaves.

Feel free to reach out to me if you need help with your project, using this link.

Cheers!