If you are a brand, you're trying to have relationships with people, and these are ongoing. They're something that endures because both sides are getting something out of it.
Introduction
Human connection is the cornerstone of brand resilience. It has the power to influence customers in profound ways and build the bonds that are essential for navigating challenging times. People are more loyal to brands they trust, and more likely to forgive them for any mistakes. And today, brand-building is a two-way relationship founded on mutual benefit; a relationship only made possible by deep empathy.
Investing in a two-way relationship
The era of broadcast advertising to the masses is over. Now, marketing is more laser-focussed on individuals or smaller groups. Segmentation has reached unprecedented levels, and with social media, consumers have a voice, too. Their collective power has encouraged brands to engage in two-way relationships, creating deep connections rooted in reciprocity.
As Daniel Rose, Managing Director at Firefish, puts it:
If you are a brand, you're trying to have relationships with people, and these are ongoing, they aren't fleeting, they're something that endures, and they endure because both sides are getting something out of it. And that is what building human brands is all about. It’s about having relationships with your customers that are mutually beneficial.
Moving from brand love, to brand help
Brands are no longer simply about desirability. They have become integral to customers’ lives, and this marks a fundamental shift in modern marketing. Enhanced customer experiences are needed to deliver tangible value and meaning. And customers advocate and share in return. Carefully crafted moments can build the brand as a trusted partner, fostering loyalty and fuelling long-lasting relationships.
Rémi Lefèvre, Director of Luxury and Lifestyle Development Marketing at IHG Hotels and Resorts, describes this shift as allowing customers to shape the brands they admire, emphasising the importance of diversity in these relationships: “There is value in customer diversity. Brands need to go further than simply collecting feedback from customers. They need to embrace their diverse needs and perspectives. Those that fail to acknowledge and respect this diversity risk becoming stagnant.”
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants is renowned for being deeply human and inclusive in how it engages with its diverse range of guests, taking the time to understand the many different types of people they serve and embracing an open-minded view when making key business decisions. For example, when it came to opening the Kimpton Fitzroy, a listed building, it was restricted by not being able to add a ramp. So the management decided to re-engineer the marble steps to transform into a delightfully disguised lift when required. It is a typical example of a hospitality brand that excels in staying in tune with who their guest is and, in turn, helps them to stay open to the possibilities of who that person is and what they might need.
Estate agent Knight Frank is an example of a brand that puts empathy at the heart of their experience. WePioneer’s Founder and CEO, Bryony Simpson, was impressed with her experience when she moved house recently. In a highly commoditised sector, Knight Frank stands out as a brand that truly understands its customers’ needs and looks to solve them, sometimes in the simplest ways.
“The little-discussed frustration when going through a house sale or purchase is not knowing what’s going on. Sure, you want a good sale and you want it to happen quickly, but really, what you want is to know that things are moving in the right direction. But that's just the one thing that rarely happens, because no one has responsibility for the whole chain. You are just one cog in it. That's where Knight Frank was different. Our agent took it upon herself to take ownership for the whole chain. She chased everybody. It was extra work for her, but she knew it would make her client happy, so she made it her responsibility.
And in return, I've evanglised about them across social media and to all my friends.”
Focusing on being helpful and useful enables brands to become part of a customer’s ‘family’. The symbiosis that builds through consistent and personal positive experiences is what deepens those bonds, earns a brand a seat at the ‘family table’ and helps them to keep it, even if it makes mistakes in being there.
Why human connection matters
The positive impact of human-centric thinking is substantial, and it goes beyond short-term gains. Human connection builds resilience because it cements the bond with customers: the stronger the bond, the more a brand can stand up to pressures on that relationship in tough times.
Deep connections between brands and consumers drive trust. Trust, in turn, breeds advocacy, where customers champion, become ambassadors, and even act as activists for a brand.
“I'm a big fan of the word advocacy. It's incredibly precious. And that's what the human connection brings,” says Peter Cross, consumer expert and retail consultant.
The importance of engaging with customers on a human level and building strong relationships with them is backed up by our research. The WePioneer Customer Experience Survey indicates people highly value these deep connections, with 60% of respondents emphasising that consistent positive experiences with a brand were a more important factor for repeat purchasing than affordability and reputation. Meanwhile, 50% of respondents said exceptional customer service made them feel the most connected with a brand, ahead of shared values, innovative products and personalised communication.
There have been wider studies into consumer relationships with brands supporting this insight. Business educators Claudio Alvarez and Susan Fournier [3] have shown that strong, positive relationships between consumers and brands result in increased purchases, resistance to negative information, word-of-mouth advocacy and even customers making sacrifices for the brand.
These brand connections not only foster loyalty and advocacy, but in doing so they also safeguard premium positioning. Fostering connection is what shields brands and ensures people remain loyal when material and resource costs increase and they are forced to raise their prices. The relationships formed with people are their protection for the moments when it is really needed. That is the essence of brand resilience.
Understanding the consumer as a partner
As brands enter into relationships with consumers, they must take on the same fundamental qualities seen in human couplings: openness, transparency, aligned values, genuine care for each other’s needs, and the willingness to adapt.
At the start of a consumer-brand relationship, consumers engage on a tangible level through the ownership of a product or the use of a service. There is a necessity to fulfil immediate needs, where the brand’s primary function is as a provider, catering to these fundamental requirements.
What starts as a straightforward, transactional association gradually deepens as consumers form emotional bonds and meaningful connections with the brands they use. Beyond the functionality of the services on offer, they seek alignment between the brand's personality and image, and their values and aspirations. The brand stops being a provider and becomes a companion. Factors such as transparency, authenticity and shared beliefs come to the forefront. Consumers want brands to complement their own identities and worldviews.
Our survey data supports this view. Over 50% stated that brands must have authenticity and transparency in their actions to create a strong connections. By comparison, just 30% chose ideals and values with which they could align.
Once a robust symbiotic relationship has been established, brands can leverage a range of technologies and data-driven strategies to enhance their connection with consumers. This synergy enables brands to not only provide valuable experiences, but also adapt and innovate in ways that resonate with their audience, fostering lasting loyalty and engagement.
Tech as facilitator