How to create a more empathetic brand

I’m a big proponent of embracing empathy when it comes to your brand. I believe it’s your superpower. So you can imagine my excitement when the Harvard Business Review published a post on the topic.

While I’m a fan of any promotion of empathy, I felt there was some nuance missing with some of the points the author made. And some important ideas that were absent.

So beyond the Harvard Business Review article, here are some key considerations for any brand looking to tap into the power of empathy.

What they say may be even more important than what they do

People may say one thing and do another. Much of the advice you see out there is to focus on their behavior to drive your decisions.

While this is important, it would be a big miss to ignore the importance of what they say. Why is that? People have an idealized version of themselves. It’s what they are working towards. 

For example, in research, they may say they favor a pricier socially conscious brand. But when pressed about which one they bought, they may reveal they purchased the low-price alternative. Are they being deceptive? No. They’re being human. Their idealized self aligns with what that socially conscious brand stands for. But the reality today is that they have to settle for the low-priced alternative.

It’s too easy to discount our prospects' idealized versions of themselves and focus solely on their behavior. When we have great empathy as a brand, we realize the preciousness of their idealized self. We realize that it is what is most compelling to those we hope to serve.

Brands that focus only on our behavior may be able to find their way into our heads. But it is the brands that have real empathy and help us work toward our idealized selves that will earn a place in our hearts. These are the brands that have the opportunity to become beloved.

Stop talking about you and start talking about them

Brands that display real empathy display this trait. They talk less about themselves and more about those they hope to serve.

This is not as easy as it sounds. I see lots of brands that seem to feel compelled to impart every part of their offering to potential prospects. It’s as if they feel they have one shot and they have to cover every point of their offering.

The truth is, that prospects would rather hear how you’re going to help them. Initially, they want to hear how you’re going to help them solve an immediate problem or meet a need that they have. But they really sit up and listen when you can show them how you can help them work toward that idealized self we talked about. To achieve that kind of connection, it takes great empathy for those you hope to serve.

Brands will never be able to reach that level of connection with prospects if all they do is talk about themselves. 

Help them dream

Your prospects have plenty of brands that want to help them with that immediate need or problem. What is scarce are brands that talk to them about their aspirations. Brands that help them dream are the brands they want in their lives.

It takes great empathy to overcome the urge to simply talk about all your features and instead find ways to serve your prospects’ dreams.

Understand what your prospects hope for. And identify how your brand can credibly help them along the path to those dreams. Then make the concerted effort to shift your efforts from simply selling to delivering the help they need to work toward their dreams.

Empathy may very well be the most overlooked trait of exceptional brands. Look at how you might cultivate yours. It could become your superpower.