The end of the year is approaching and it's time for retrospectives. The media presents us with a summary of the main world events, Spotify creates our playlist with the songs we listened to the most, Instagram brings us a summary of our stories, and even food delivery apps remind us of our favorite restaurants and dishes consumed throughout the year that is ending.
Inevitably, we also take personal stock of the last 365 days, and I couldn't help but be infected by the feeling of retrospection when preparing my December article for Makers. So I asked myself: if I had to think of one word to mark 2021, what would it be? The first word that came to mind was empathy. I thought it over a few times to be sure of my choice, and the same empathy appeared every time.
Why empathy? First of all, it's worth clarifying its concept. Empathy is the ability to recognize the feelings of others. It is informally characterized as "putting yourself in someone else's shoes", i.e. putting yourself in someone else's shoes and interpreting their emotions, reactions and attitudes from their perspective. It is one of the main ways of establishing trust with other people. By putting ourselves in the other person's shoes, we show respect for their opinions, culture and way of acting. Furthermore, when we come to understand someone's motivations and reactions, we increase our power to engage with them, because we "speak their language better" and create more bonds. Consciously or not, empathy was one of the great practices of 2021 due to the difficulties faced throughout the year, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
New working dynamics, especially remote working, have been consolidated in 2021. As we've held (countless) meetings via Zoom, Teams, Google and all the other apps, we've gotten to know more about people's lives, their homes, their families, and we've even shared domestic problems. Who hasn't had a meeting interrupted by the intercom, the arrival of the market or a construction project? Throughout this process, we begin to identify more with other people, to open up more and get to know a colleague or boss beyond the name tag. And we start to respect each other's difficulties and happiness more.
Empathy has also gained relevance in the relationship between brands and their consumers. According to a survey carried out by Hood Insights, people have been seeking closer empathetic ties with brands since the beginning of the pandemic, to help them generate a collective and unitary sense at the same time. The Deloitte Global study "2021 Global Marketing Trends" also reinforces this dynamic: 80% of people could name a brand that has responded positively to their concerns during the pandemic, and for 20% of respondents this type of attitude has increased their trust in the brand.
Empathy generates an emotional connection that goes beyond the purchase-consumption relationship. It's not a new concept, but it's something that has intensified over the last two years. To generate this empathetic connection, certain factors are important:
1) Identifying consumer needsBrands must get to know their consumers in depth, understanding their lifestyles, ambitions, dreams and concerns. Insights, research and conversations with consumers are some of the ways of generating this understanding. Based on this, the brand must define which of its audience's needs or aspirations it is going to work on.
2) PurposePurpose: Brands are currently navigating a dynamic and complex social landscape, with high consumer expectations. Brands without a purpose often find themselves without a guide, in uncharted territory at times of uncertainty or criticism. To connect with their consumers, brands must align their values with those of their audience through purpose, representing their reason for existing. The definition of purpose must answer questions such as: what change do we want in the world and who do we want to inspire? Finding a purpose means taking a stand on some issue or cause, which may generate adverse opinions from groups of people, but will certainly increase the connection with those who defend the same values.
3) AuthenticityAuthentic brands show consistency between their actions and their purpose, they don't contradict themselves (or when they do, they at least admit their mistake). The consumer's trust in the brand is important for generating empathy and connection between the two. Therefore, the purpose needs to be genuine, to be reflected not only in marketing activities, but also in the company's relationship with its suppliers, customers and employees. Lack of consistency or genuineness has an impact on consumer trust, and regaining it can be an arduous task. According to research carried out by Deloitte, brands that are authentic (and consistent in their actions and purposes) increase consumers' willingness to repeat a purchase by 2.4 times.
2022 will still be a challenging year for all of us. The pandemic, which is showing signs of improvement, is stubbornly leaving us. The world economy is still in the process of recovery. In Brazil, we will be electing our new president. In the midst of all this, one thing is certain: being empathetic towards other people will help us move forward. And brands will increasingly need to establish a strong bond with their consumers, take on causes and have very clear purposes and values.
