A Call to Action for Marketers: Get Out There

Over years in the field, I've learned that marketing must be inherently human-centric. To resonate, campaigns must be born from real-life insights, not abstract theories or data points alone. And the best way to understand real human behavior isn’t from behind a desk or in a conference room—it’s from walking in the very shoes of our customers.

As marketers, it’s easy to become ensnared in the allure of data analytics, digital insights, and sophisticated algorithms, believing they hold all the answers. Yet, even the most advanced tools can’t replace the nuanced, unquantifiable insights we gain from genuine human experience. Today, in a world swamped by impersonal advertisements and cookie-cutter campaigns, the brands that truly connect are those that place human experience front and center.

I’ve learned over years in the field that marketing must be inherently human-centric. To resonate, campaigns must be born from real-life insights, not abstract theories or data points alone. And the best way to understand real human behavior isn’t from behind a desk or in a conference room—it’s from walking in the very shoes of our customers.

Marketing From the Trenches

Consider the story of Airbnb. When the company was just starting, its founders, Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, didn’t merely rely on market research or theoretical consumer personas. They traveled to their hosts' homes, stayed with them, and observed how people experienced Airbnb. Chesky has recounted numerous times how these early interactions helped them shape not only the business model but also the user experience in ways no amount of secondary research could ever achieve. It wasn’t about building a platform for travelers; it was about understanding the specific nuances of their needs and aspirations. Airbnb's commitment to this on-the-ground approach to understanding customers wasn’t just a chapter in its early days—it’s a philosophy that still underpins its growth strategy.

Another example is Procter & Gamble, particularly with its Swiffer product line. The brand's research team didn't stop at surveys; they spent time observing people in their homes, watching how they cleaned, noting frustrations and pain points that surveys never quite captured. By being present in consumers' environments, P&G’s researchers uncovered a range of insights about the everyday challenges people faced with mopping, eventually leading to Swiffer—a product that was groundbreaking in its simplicity and effectiveness. Swiffer didn’t just answer a functional need; it tapped into a larger consumer sentiment around ease and convenience.

Breathing the Same Air as the Customer

In today’s marketing landscape, it’s tempting to lean on tech-heavy tools like social listening, but even these can’t fully replicate the depth of human interaction. During my time in the industry, I’ve come to see the transformative power of being where our audiences are—visiting their communities, attending events they care about, and really breathing the same air, so to speak.

A brand that has consistently understood this is Dove, which famously embraced real women in its campaigns instead of models. Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign, which spanned more than a decade, is rooted in deep conversations with women worldwide. Dove’s team did not assume that beauty ideals were universal; they listened intently to diverse women’s stories, giving them the platform to redefine beauty on their terms. This wasn’t a top-down campaign. It emerged from the stories, emotions, and everyday realities of real women, which, in turn, created an authentic connection with consumers.

Human Experience as Competitive Advantage

At the end of the day, understanding human behavior goes beyond simple demographic profiling. To be truly human-centric, we need to see our customers’ lives in context, not through the limited lens of consumer behavior but by understanding their worlds, aspirations, and unique frustrations.

This belief isn’t just theoretical for me; it’s something I’ve implemented firsthand. In past campaigns, I’ve spent hours in spaces where our target audiences naturally thrive, observing, interacting, and listening without an agenda. It was here, in the unfiltered conversations and casual moments, that I found the golden nuggets of insight that no survey could have surfaced. You can’t quantify that kind of experience, but you can absolutely feel it in the marketing outcomes.

Understanding human behavior goes beyond simple demographic profiling. To be truly human-centric, we need to see our customers’ lives in context, not through the limited lens of consumer behavior but by understanding their worlds, aspirations, and unique frustrations.

A Call to Action: Step Out and Listen

If we, as marketers, want to create campaigns that matter, we must go beyond what’s easily accessible from our desks. Real-life human interaction must sit at the core of our strategy development. This means carving out time to immerse ourselves in our customers’ realities. It’s an investment, yes, but one that reaps unparalleled returns in the form of genuine connections and brand loyalty.

And so, my call to fellow marketers is this: let’s reintroduce humanity back into marketing. Let’s take the time to leave our offices, step into our customers’ world, and commit to being present. Because marketing, at its best, isn’t about data or theory. It’s about understanding—and that requires us to get our hands a little dirty, to experience life as our customers do, and to place the human experience firmly at the heart of everything we do.

By doing so, we don’t just create campaigns that sell; we craft connections that last.

This article is co-authored with ChatGPT