I don’t trust you!
Your customers might not be telling you this but it is in the back of their minds: I don’t trust you!
We are living in a moment where we don’t trust media or brands. We believe or are lead to believe media is fake, companies betray us. Consumers feel ostracized and misunderstood. So you as a brand need to be thinking how to move forward and prove your trustworthiness to consumers.
Our environment is changing, our behavior is changing and our emotions are taking the forefront. As a marketer of your own business, you need to understand and adapt if you want to thrive.
Emotion is the new currency. You market to emotions. All the time.
Yes, people are angry and divided. They feel empowered to say what they feel even when it is a little bit too much. What do you do as a brand? You don’t want people talking bad about your business but you need to give them voice in a positive way. You allow them to participate!
People are looking for compassion, safety and privacy. How many people put a tape over their computer camera because they don’t want to lose their sense of privacy? I know my desktop does not have a camera either, just in case.
Because our level of trust is so low we are blocking cameras, news, e-mails. The younger the generation the worse it gets. Generation Z for example is really averse in sharing any personal data (even when they might get a 20% off coupon). So what will happen with those lead generation pages?
The approach will change drastically. Meaning and purpose will have to be there if they are to share anything with you.
So what is a brand to do? Understand what people want and give it to them. For example, people want to be respected, believed and heard. So having to walk a whole store to find one overworked employee to ask a question, does not work. Watching a video where the expert is telling them what to do, without their input does not work either.
You need to understand that if a customer came to you, he/she did it although he/she would rather be home, despite of day to day struggles, work etc. You should understand and respect that and give them the most personable and special experience. If you are just trying to sell them something, you are going to lose them.
Did I say they’d rather stay home? It is a safe place we trust. Now we just need to make it self-sufficient. Robots, technologies, machines that talk to us and make us fee special, delivery of goods (Why do I even need to go to a supermarket)? All these products and services are on the rise. As well as services that give us instant access to what we want: Netflix, Spotify, Curiousmondo.
Consumer now relate better with small. Small or local brands. Even if you are a big company, you can market as a personal brand with real people, with hobbies and purpose. Small gives us a perspective of control and in a moment where society is evolving, something that makes us all uncomfortable, we seek control and reach. The sense of small gives us that. If you look in the restaurant industry- portions are getting smaller too.
When we get out of our home, we want to do things in groups. Because we need human connection and validation and because the enormous amount of time we spend in social media is making us really bored. Companies that cater to this need are growing like Plantnite that partners with restaurants and bars. But going out in a group also means doing something together like spinning, knitting, making or cosplay.
You can say culture is the new media and if you empower culture with your customers you will be in the winning end. People don’t want to be advertised to but they do want to be reached. That is why you need to talk about them and their emotions and needs not about your product or service. You need to market to them in their groups, neighborhoods and social circles.
It does take more work but it works better than any ad out there, lasts longer and most of all increases the level of trust in your company.