It has never been easier to become known.  Whether it's Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Flickr, Snapchat, YouTube, and countless web portals, they offer everyone access to worldwide markets and target groups.

Thousands of offers bombard us daily, but in the omnipresent information tsunami, messages get lost like grains of sand in the Sahara.  

In the battle for attention, no stories are told, no values are conveyed, no justifications are given. The credo: shorter, scanter, more concise – but in as many communication channels as possible.  

We crave popularity!

Often, however, sales have not grown in parallel with increased brand awareness.

Awareness alone is obviously not enough to be successful.  

The communication possibilities have changed drastically – but the purchase decision-making process has not.  It is still about why we buy something, which motives are satisfied, which problem is solved by it, and whether a brand is relevant. Desirability is only aroused when we succeed in connecting a relevant set of values with brands.  

But what is actually relevant for my target group?  

Purchase decisions are not only made on the basis of product characteristics,  but increasingly also on the basis of societal, social, cultural, geopolitical, or climatic factors.

This development has increased the importance of "empathic" brand management.

Consumers want to feel understood,  they want to know more about the motives, attitudes, and activities of a company. Working conditions, corporate culture, willingness to serve, social commitment, resource conservation, etc., are judged just as much as the price or the benefit of a product.

Loyalty only arises when the value structure of a brand is in harmony with the attitudes of the buyers.  

Brands gain "closeness."

The goal must be to align the positioning of a brand with the demands and attitudes of consumers.  Let us give our customers insight, treat them as friends, explain the "why," and thereby gain respect, understanding, and loyalty.  

Let us communicate with more content, more personally, and more honestly.

The recommendation of a "convinced" customer has more influence on the purchase decision than hundreds of GRPs (Gross Rating Points).

Don't fall into the "popularity trap"; invest time in understanding the motives of your target group, form communities, carry on a dialogue, and communicate content.  

Lead your brand with empathy!

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