Does Empathy Belong in Branding? Part I
The idea of empathy is not a new one, but its definition has changed over time. In this blog post and the next, we will be looking at the concept of empathy in brand strategy, determining whether it should be given as much focus as the world seems to demand and the role it plays in building a connection with customers.
Put yourself in their shoes.
Think about how they feel. How would you feel if that happened to you instead? As young children, this language was often used to help us learn the importance of empathy. If we could at least attempt to see situations through the eyes of others we might better understand why they feel the way they do, and why they behave in certain ways. At the time, the intention was to help us build friendships and hold ourselves accountable for how we make others feel.
While empathy comes more naturally to some than others, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought a certain urgency to weave it into daily life, including how companies interact with their customers. The following pages explore the concept of empathy in brand strategy and whether it should be given as much real estate in your work as the world seems to demand.
Empathy goes well beyond putting yourself in your customer’s shoes.
The idea of empathy is a relatively new concept, and in fact, the way we define it is much different than its original meaning. In 1908 the word “empathy” appeared as a translation for the German word “Einfühlung,” the literal translation being “in-feeling”. Its true European meaning wasn’t to put ourselves in others’ shoes; rather, it was to project our feelings on the other person–ultimately persuading them to feel what we are. By the second world war, social psychologists began exploring empathy to help clinicians better understand their patients. Over time, the concept of empathy became much more complex.
As an example, pretend you’re leading an urgent care facility in a suburban area. By studying the neighborhood and its people, you know a majority of your audience works full time, has school-age children and likely feels spread too thin. Because of this, you offer extended hours. Need met and problem solved, right? Not so fast.
While the urgent care example is surface level, all too often this is about as far as some organizations go to connect with their customers. In truth, there are three types of empathy – understanding others’ thoughts, feeling what they’re feeling and acting in a way that demonstrates true connection.
Cognitive Empathy
You could argue that most organizations stop here as they develop their communication strategies. By simply stating they understand how you live, they believe a lasting connection can be made. The language and imagery they use is geared toward proving they “see” their audience and their challenges or needs.
Emotive Empathy
This type of empathy takes the concept further into the human experience by transitioning from mental awareness to physical experience. It’s actually feeling what someone else is experiencing.
Empathetic Action
This is likely the most difficult type of empathy to harness. Empathetic Action is shared knowing and feeling–and then acting in a way that shows you’re in lockstep with another person’s experience. It’s challenging because this is the point where humans (and brands) need to be quiet enough to authentically connect with others. This is the heart and soul of real connection.
In some ways the thinking behind the three types of empathy resembles a glidepath. It makes sense that first we work to understand what someone is experiencing. Then, we dig deeper to actually feel what they feel in those moments, and lastly, we act in a way that shows we’re right there with them, sharing the same experience. At this point, it likely feels obvious that we believe empathy is the key to building meaningful brands. The answer isn’t quite that simple.
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