Empathize to Marketize

Empathy – it sounds simple, but it's anything but. In the realm of marketing, it's this elusive skill that we're all striving to master. To really see through another's eyes, to feel what they feel, it's a journey far more complex than any market research can offer.

The Shortcomings of Big Companies:

Big corporations, with their resources and reach, often fall into the trap of favoring market research over empathy. They become ensnared in data, losing sight of the human element. They prioritize providing what they think people want, rather than truly understanding the needs and emotions of those they're trying to reach.

The Story of Hanes and L'eggs Pantyhose:

Consider the tale of Hanes and their L'eggs Pantyhose. It was a breakthrough in both product and marketing, sold in little egg-shaped containers at drugstores. The team behind this innovation? Mostly men – a demographic not typically known for wearing pantyhose. The challenge they faced wasn't just in the creation of the product, but in understanding the daily realities of their customers. Empathizing with the hassle of a run in the pantyhose, and the urgency to fix it before a professional engagement, was key to resonating with their audience.

Empathy: Not Just Understanding, but Feeling:

Empathy in marketing is about more than understanding – it's about feeling. It involves delving into the pain, insecurities, and emotions of others, and adding those to your own experiences. It's a profound task, asking marketers not only to understand but to genuinely feel what their customers feel, to see the world from their perspectives.

Empathy in Action: Sweetgreen’s Approach:

Take the example of Sweetgreen, a popular salad chain in NY. They decided to go cashless, a move driven by various practical reasons. However, when their system went down and they couldn’t accept credit cards, they were faced with a dilemma. Their empathetic response was to offer salads for free to those waiting in line. This decision wasn't about what was best for Sweetgreen at that moment, but what was best for the customers who had invested their time and trust in the brand.

Delta’s Empathetic Pilot:

Another profound example comes from a Delta flight. A woman, grappling with a fear of flying, found unexpected comfort not in statistics or safety features, but in the empathetic approach of a pilot.

Here's what he didn't do. He didn't insist that Bernoulli's Law meant that no plane could crash.

He didn't show pages and pages of statistics that flying a plane is safer than driving to the airport.

It didn't matter because she already knew that. It's just that she didn't believe what he believed.

And in that moment of empathy, what the pilot did was simple. He took out his card and he said, look, I see you. I hear you. I understand that this is causing you anxiety. Here's my card. Any time you're feeling like you need to talk to somebody about getting on a plane, call me and I'll be happy to talk to you.

In that moment, she got what she needed. She was seen and understood not by an aeronautical engineer, but by a human being.

Empathy as a Marketing Philosophy:

Empathy in marketing isn't just a technique; it's a philosophy. It's about walking in someone else's shoes, even if just for a day. Imagine an architect spending a day in a wheelchair, or without sight – it's a perspective that’s hard to grasp otherwise. We might never fully understand what it's like to live as a disabled person or as a minority facing societal biases, but we can open the door to empathy, to begin to comprehend their frustrations and challenges.

The Nonprofit Fundraiser’s Empathetic Challenge:

Consider the unique challenge faced by nonprofit fundraisers. They often seek substantial donations from wealthy individuals, a concept foreign to many of them personally. They might find it hard to comprehend why someone would donate $100,000 to a charity. But for the affluent donor, it’s about the value of the story they tell themselves – about the impact they're making, their legacy, the satisfaction of seeing their name on a building. It's an empathetic understanding of this narrative that enables successful fundraising.

Empathy in Business-to-Business Marketing:

Empathy is equally crucial in B2B marketing. Often, salespeople are pitching products or services with price tags they themselves could never fathom paying. They need to understand the mindset of someone who’s spending their company's money. It's not just about the practical benefits of the product but how it fits into the buyer's story – will it impress their boss, improve a key metric, or enhance their standing in the company?

The Core Assignment of Empathy:

The central challenge in empathetic marketing is to understand what your customer believes, needs, and cares about, even if it vastly differs from your own perspective. It’s about acknowledging that they see the world differently than you do. Recognizing these differences is the first step towards genuinely empathetic marketing.

Conclusion – The Heart of Great Marketing:

Great marketers possess an innate ability to empathize. They understand that it's not about just knowing what's going through someone else's head; it’s about feeling it, living it. They recognize that each person they're trying to reach thinks differently, has different experiences, and reacts differently. This empathy is what makes marketing not just effective, but also meaningful and impactful.