Humanizing Brands: Why Brands Must Act Human?

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Aayushi, the Co-founder

BrandBerry Marcom, an ad agency based out of Delhi NCR shares the reasons for humanizing brands" alt="Aayushi, the Co-founder BrandBerry Marcom, an ad agency based out of Delhi NCR shares the reasons for humanizing brands" />

It no longer is a one-way-street for brands as communication between brands and their audiences has become easier than ever. Social media and digital marketing have made it easier for both, the brands and the audiences to establish a connection and form a bond. With this, brands now can create products with actually knowing what the customers want, considering their reviews and feedbacks on a certain product. However, the path isn't as smooth as you think it will be, in fact it has become bumpier. Why you ask? Well, the social media which has become a medium for brands to connect to their customers can also implicate your brand’s image if you end up making a wrong move. Your brand will face a social media death where coming back to life will take drastic measures. So brands, while you think social media is your friend, you must also consider it as a double-edged sword that must be handled very carefully.

By giving your brand a make-believe persona for consumers to relate with, you are bringing yourself fanatical followings and ludicrous loyalty.

Coming from a top branding agency, there is one way brands can take advantage of social media for their best and that is by “being human”. Not referring to Salman Khan's ‘Being Human’ but what we want you to do is act as a human by building connections with your customers on an emotional level. So when you keep pushing out monotonous ads via your social media page, heck not only social media but through all forms of advertising, you will lose that human factor and be seen more as a robot. As a brand, don't always try to push your products; instead become a brand that inspires people and shares moments with its customers.

Anatomy of a Human Brand

What’s the secret?

Why do some brands simply have customers, while others have irrationally loyal fans who:

• Pay a premium for their products/ services?

• Fight to be the first in line?

• Accept no substitutes?

• Rave about them to everyone? 

We’ve identified five practices that brands can use to forge a human brand with fanatical followings and win legions of loyal advocates.

1. Personify – add a personality to your brand that is likeable, humble and responsive; treat your brand as this person with character traits – likes, dislikes, mannerisms and a dialect; position your campaigns in and around these traits. Your BTL and ATL campaigns need to be coordinated and carry the same tone of voice.

How will this help? By giving your brand a make-believe persona for consumers to relate with, you are bringing yourself fanatical followings and ludicrous loyalty.

2. Speak the language. Express, just as any human does. Apologize, thank and have opinions – about your domain of operation and the world at large. Reply to comments of your followers, engage in discussions and answer questions whilst delivering the brand in context. This will make you stand out and gives your brand a very human-like presence on social media.

How will this help? A monologue is never as great an idea. Getting into a dialogue with your consumers and your consumer wanting to initiate a conversation with the brand only means one thing – actionable engagement. 

3. Follow the principle of worthy intentions and warmth – you are working in a transparent century. This means, because you always put the consumer’s interest first, they automatically put you first, even at a premium price. Obviously, it is a human trait – businesses only think bottom lines. Couple the worthy intentions with some warmth through policies and practices and a “wow” experience. Actual stories and behind-the-scenes can also help bring in a great deal of “warmth”. Here’s a splendid example: Papa John Delivering the Papa John Story: 

Because you always put the consumer’s interest first, they automatically put you first, even at a premium price.

How will this help? Mess Up + fix it with good intentions = most loyal customer

When the customer believes you have worthy intentions, they don’t think as hard.

When the customer believes you have worthy intentions, they don’t think as hard.

4. Have a fashion sense. Because you are an FMCG brand, does not mean you cannot carry a sense of fashion. By fashion we mean, colour coordinated campaigning, and ambassadors that personify the traits as your brand. 

How will this help? A theme promises enhanced brand recall, a must for every brand. That is what we are all fighting for, right?

5. Evolve, with time and trends. As humans, we learn from our mistakes, experiences, with time and the trends that come in and leave us. Similarly, because you have created this breathing brand personality does not mean you never grow out of it. Change the way you look and feel as a brand – work on your intangible qualities and the qualities of your products/ services with time, by taking the aid of technology and the anything trending and relative that you an mull over and ride on.

How will this help? A dynamic brand means a capacity to engage with young and old alike – audiences resemble with a brand that tweaks its ways, grows up and keeps pace with the new. Riding on the new also helps keep the audience in tune.

A humanized brand is relatable, forgivable, and conversational. Brands, don't try and balk out of this responsibility as this is the age of the internet and ads no longer mean a print ads magazines promoting just your product. Advertising has gone way beyond what it used to be and it will continuously evolve. The power of the internet is with the audience too; being as humanely as possible and giving your consumer an intangible face to relate with is sure to take your brand to new heights. Guaranteed!