How brands are integrating themselves into consumer lives

In a media environment that’s swamped with ads, brands are constantly struggling to create communication that breaks through the clutter to make a positive and lasting impression on consumers. The last decade has seen brands run the gauntlet of different messaging routes – from Rational (favored by consumer tech brands like Samsung) to Emotional (think jewelry brands) to Social (Always #LikeAGirl). And all of this is an effort to get the attention of their target audience by tapping into empathy in order to create a deeper human connection.

This article looks at 3 campaigns that successfully tapped into empathy in different ways.

One of the first ads that struck a chord was P&G’s ‘Thank you, Mom’ 2012 London Olympics sponsorship ad. P&G’s largest ever initiative for corporate branding stemmed from the insight that “Behind every athlete is an amazing Mom” and showcased mothers across geographies and socio-economic strata working to help their children reach their goals. Needless to say, this highly-awarded campaign resonated emotionally with consumers across the globe – and effectively set a new bar for brands to aspire to.

It inspired brands to take a closer look at consumers’ lives and create more relatable and meaningful campaigns, like Always #LikeAGirl. The need for acceptability and relevance-building now sees a new route taken by the brands – exploring the dynamism of relationships that progress with time, with campaigns that attempt to improve and/or reinvent the same.

One such brand is Wipro Lighting (an Indian lighting brand)- which recently cut through the clutter of Mother’s Day messages that simply acknowledge and thank moms with a campaign that delved a little deeper. Wipro Smart LED lights came out with a campaign that recognized and sought to resolve a common life-stage issue for aging widows in India.

While it is a common phenomenon in India for an elderly single parent to stay with one of his/her married children, pursuing a romantic relationship (especially for a widowed woman) is frowned upon. The campaign brought the issue into focus with a story of an elderly woman who ritually connects with an elderly male neighbor at night – communicating silently by repeatedly turning the lights on and off. The film encouraged audiences to embrace a more progressive approach toward old-age romance while seamlessly establishing the product strengths – that LED lights don’t get burnt out as easily as regular light bulbs, and the Smart LED lights could be controlled with a mobile app.

Another example I noticed more recently (and closer home in the region) of a brand integrating itself into consumer relationships is HSBC’s Personal Loans campaign.

HSBC’s recent regional campaign kicked off with a poll asking the parents in the UAE where they thought their children would likely be playing during the summer. As expected, the majority responded by saying that the kids would be indoors. The exercise got the audience thinking about how their kids would be spending the summer – indoors, in front of a screen, or just getting bored out of lack of constructive activities.

HSBC’s campaign tapped into the trend of progressive parenting and offered parents an opportunity to take their children on a vacation, to a wider playground of varied real-life experiences, that are just as educational as the classrooms. The campaign #PlaygroundEarth encouraged parents to take their kids on a holiday that would be enriching and educational. And, should they need it, HSBC would give them a Personal Loan to do it.

Brands that understand the dynamic nature of modern day relationship complexities and conflicts, and display empathy become not just more relevant but also tend to better empower consumers in taking progressive steps in their journey. As a person who analyses brand communication from a distance, I like how brands are now beginning to get into the personal lives of consumers and hope to see more such work from brands in the region.

Deval Kartik