The first step to humanizing a brand is not internal brainstorming, but conducting deep-dive interviews with recent customers. The goal is to understand precisely what problem they were solving and why they chose your solution over others, grounding your brand messaging in real-world validation.
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Customers describe an idealized version of their world in interviews. To understand their true problems and workflows, you must be physically present. This uncovers the crucial gap between their perception and day-to-day reality.
Go beyond simple customization and build proposals using the customer's own words and lingo from discovery calls. Reflecting their exact language back to them proves you listened and understood their unique pain. This makes them feel heard and emotionally connects them to the solution, creating urgency.
While customer experience (CX) focuses on smooth transactions, customer intimacy builds deep, lasting loyalty by fostering closeness. This is achieved through empathetic actions in "moments that matter," creating powerful brand stories that resonate more than any marketing campaign.
Instead of comparing to competitors, compare your product to the ideal human interaction. Google Meet aimed to be like a real conversation, not just better than Zoom. This 'humanization' framework pushes teams to think beyond features and focus on a more intuitive, emotionally resonant experience.
AI can't replicate insights gained from direct customer interaction. Methods like joining sales calls, reading product reviews, and one-on-one interviews provide "first-party data" essential for creating resonant content and differentiating your brand from competitors relying on public data.
Creating a genuine brand voice requires deep immersion, not just a brief. By spending months interacting with dozens of employees across all departments, a consultant can uncover the shared language and core truths that form an authentic, resonant voice.
Instead of reacting defensively when a customer mentions a competitor, use it to probe their underlying needs. Asking 'What do you like about it?' helps differentiate between a critical feature gap ('the steak') and a superficial want ('the sizzle'), keeping you focused on solving real problems.
Move beyond listing features and benefits. The most powerful brands connect with customers by selling the emotional result of using the product. For example, Swishables sells 'confidence' for a meeting after coffee, not just 'liquid mouthwash.' This emotional connection is the ultimate brand moat.
A common marketing mistake is being product-centric. Instead of selling a pre-packaged product, first identify the customer's primary business challenge. Then, frame and adapt your offering as the specific solution to that problem, ensuring immediate relevance and value.