Do brands care about their customers?

The answer is a big no, and I know this because I have been in serious pitching mode for a month to fill our pipeline. I learned pretty quickly that in about half of the meetings I go into, I know the customer better than the brand…so how can you care about someone you haven't even taken the time to learn everything about them. Looking at this differently, I think big? Brands today often give the impression that they don't care about customers, at least not in a meaningful, human way. I read an article recently and it paints a bleak picture of the current state of brand-customer interactions, especially through email marketing. Personally, I like email, but brands (myself not included here) fill their emails with impersonal Messages and are pretty boring. They are filled with promotions, discounts, and urgent messages about last-minute opportunities. They lack personalization and fail to make a genuine connection with the recipient…and if you think people don’t notice this, ask yourself what the brand The Gap stands for. If you really think about it the answer may be, “If it isn’t 40% off now, it will be in a few hours, so I will wait”

The other big mistake Brands are currently making is that they rarely, if ever, ask customers how they are doing, how they are feeling, or how they can help. This lack of basic human interaction is stark compared to the personal attention customers used to receive in brick-and-mortar stores. I was in a sneaker store yesterday, and I was wearing a pair of shoes that the store should have bought right off my feet or at the very least identified me as a possible source of revenue, and not a single person spoke to me because they were too cool for school.?

Marketers constantly talk about the importance of emotional connection, but there is a significant gap between what they preach and what they practice. Consumers face a national loneliness crisis, yet brands fail to address this with empathy and genuine engagement.

Imagine if a salesperson hugged you in a fitting room because the dress you tried on was perfect. You would probably cry….tears of joy.

Missed opportunities Are everywhere, and brands don’t care. Brands could build enormous goodwill by refraining from incessant promotions and instead showing genuine empathy and care. Simple questions like "What's on your mind?" could go a long way in making customers feel valued.

Brands must recognize that consumers are not just ATMs attached to email addresses. They are real people with real emotions and needs. Engaging with customers on this level could lead to stronger, more meaningful relationships.

Performance Marketing has become a crutch that people lean on with all their body weight. Yes, it focuses on immediate revenue rather than long-term brand building, but this approach also leads to brand narcissism, where the focus is on KPIs and not on the emotional state of the consumers.

In conclusion, it is clear to me that many brands fail to genuinely care about their customers. They are stuck in a cycle of impersonal, promotion-heavy communication that overlooks the basic human need for recognition and empathy. While exceptions exist, the industry needs to shift its focus from immediate ROI to building deeper, more meaningful customer connections.

Brands that can balance their promotional efforts with genuine, empathetic engagement will likely be rewarded with increased customer loyalty and long-term success. It's about moving from a "send" mode to a "receive" mode, listening to customers, and responding to their needs and emotions. This shift is not just desirable but essential in a world where consumers are increasingly looking for brands that understand and care about them… If you can't figure this out, you can always hire me.?