The Importance of Human-Centred Marketing in a Digital Age 

In a world where everything is increasingly digital, it’s easy to overlook the importance of remaining ‘human’ and keeping marketing personal. But the truth is, no matter how advanced new automations and marketing technologies become, people will always be looking for the personal touch. At the heart of every successful marketing campaign is understanding the people that you want to connect with – and digital tools can help with this too.  

Human-centred marketing is an approach where the customers’ needs and wants are at the absolute core of the marketing journey. Rather than continuously talking about how great your business’ product is or promoting the next sales promotion, human-centred marketing focuses on your customer.  

Understanding the human-centred approach 

Human-centred marketing is about putting people first. It’s important to remind ourselves that behind every click, every like, and every share, is a person – have real conversations with them and make them feel like they’re part of something bigger. By focusing on empathy, listening, co-creation and personalisation, your marketing activity can create genuine and meaningful connections.  

Empathy is a powerful tool that allows you to step into your customer’s shoes and truly understand what their pain points and challenges are. By identifying these, you can offer personalised solutions that make your customers’ lives just that little bit smoother and show that your brand is committed to providing real value to them. This goes hand in hand with listening to your target market and pro-actively reaching out for feedback and creating new conversation topics.  

Personalisation in marketing today goes beyond sending emails with your customer’s name in the header. Nowadays, most marketing platforms offer bespoke marketing routes for your customers based on their behaviour. By making the most out of the available data and analytics, you can delve into your customers’ behaviours and preferences to make unique marketing experiences for all. Whether it’s sending tailored promotions based on past purchases or recommending products based on their browser history, these automated actions can help you stand out in a crowded market.  

By involving your customers through co-creation or user-generated content, you can show that you value their input and are committed to creating experiences that truly resonate with them. A prime example of co-creation is the Lego Ideas platform, where fans can submit their own designs for new Lego sets. If enough votes are received from other fans, Lego will consider turning it into an actual product.  
 

The Role of Data in Human-Centred Marketing 

We’ve come a long way in the digital marketing world and there’s a huge amount of data available at our fingertips. So, why not make the most out of it and create better, more personalised marketing? In today’s digital age, data is king and there are opportunities to monitor your customer’s behaviour across many touchpoints.  

From a human-centred marketing outlook, we can identify customer behavioural patterns and preferences to suggest solutions that simply meet their needs. Take Amazon for instance – each user has their own bespoke recommendations based on their previous activity through the app. But they don’t stop there. To go above this, they will send their users notifications to check whether they are running low on a product and may be thinking about re-ordering. Amazon’s personalised re-order notifications can be a lifesaver for their customers’ convenience and ensures they never have to search for products last-minute.  

But how can you continue to improve and personalise your customers’ experience? The answer lies in collecting feedback and listening to what they have to say. It’s not just about fixing issues that customers may have had with our brand, but also about using their feedback to create innovative experiences that exceed their expectations.  

Creating Authentic Connections 

Customers are looking for more than just products or services, they want to feel a genuine connection with the companies they choose to do business with. People are bombarded with advertising and marketing campaigns, so it’s even more important to establish authentic connections with your target market and cut through the noise. When customers feel seen, heard, and valued, they are more likely to return and recommend the brand to others.  

Authenticity is the key to creating lasting connections with customers because people don’t just buy products, they buy stories and the people behind them. Storytelling in the world of marketing has taken on a whole new level of importance as companies are re-shaping their messaging to establish a deeper level of engagement. It’s a way to communicate values, mission and purpose – rather than focus on the benefits of the product or service you’re trying to sell. It’s what inspires people to take action.  

For instance, Dove’s campaigns go beyond just selling soap or skin care but tell a wider story that reinforces what they stand for. Customers buy into the feeling of beauty, self-love, and body positivity that Dove represents, making their campaigns not just a marketing tactic but a movement towards positive change. Dove’s campaigns have been highly successful because they tap into a universal desire for authenticity and relatability.  

Conclusion:  

As businesses navigate the next digital age, it’s crucial to remember that at the heart of every successful marketing campaign is a human connection. As marketers, we should all strive to understand our customers better and these efforts will pay off by having customers who are passionate about your brand. Incorporating human-centred marketing strategies and the wide-spread of data can seem daunting at first, but it’s a worthwhile investment to putting your people first. Remember, the key to building a brand that stands the test of time lies in connecting with your audience on a human level, and so we encourage you to adopting human-centred approaches in your marketing efforts.  

At Carswell Gould, our campaigns are always focused on the end user, so we create award-winning marketing campaigns that resonate with them.