Empathy as branding opportunity

MACHINE EMPATHY 

A growing expectation of emotionally intelligent interaction with brands across multiple channels from messenger Apps to chat-bots, from human reps to Twitter consumers will increasingly want to see a little of ourselves reflected back in commercial interactions, including our real-time emotional state. A brand’s functional attributes – its commitment to value, to well-located on- and offline stores, to quality – Its ability to satisfy emotional needs – to deliver human warmth in all contexts, to activate against the customers real-time emotional state – will become an increasingly vital factor inside B2C relationships (especially in the coming era of opt-in marketing). Customer Experience, Retail, and Advertising are perhaps more impacted than most by the promise of new emotional metrics that form the basis of personalized interaction and service Generation Z is already highly accepting of AI, (personalization in particular), but older generations still tend to be wary of AI’s impact on their lives.
 

The distrust may be in part because the companies utilizing AI still haven’t found a way to communicate the positive impact effectively: an in crease in sales is just a product of the seamless customer journey and better overall experience that AI offers. Today’s customers expect a lot from an Online store: That it won’t “waste their time” That they will find products that fit them That the product they want will be in stock, with a large variety to choose from That the experience will be personalized for them
 

1. Young people are rejecting the perfectly curated feeds on Instagram in favor of an authentic and unfiltered aesthetic

2. A growing desire among the younger generations to either take breaks from social

media or quit it altogether.

3. Gen Z are less and less loyal to social media and are instead using different platforms for different purpose.

4. 4 IN 10 US consumers have used voice commands on their smartphone/wearable/tablet (e.g. Siri, Alexa, Cortana).
 

As opposed to the Millennial generation, Gen-z demands authenticity, realness and imperfect-but-meaningful experiences. This shift in values has prompted major changes in the advertising and media sectors.
 

Following the recent trend of body-hair acceptance, now acne acceptance is starting to grow in opularity. Supported by the body positivity movement and the backlash against unrealistic beauty often depicted in advertising, acne acceptance has been gaining more and more traction over the past months. 
 

Several Online campaigns such as Peter DeVito’s #AcneIsNormal have been created to emphasize the normality of skin issues while many celebrities such as Justin Bieber have started endorsing this idea by posting unretouched selfies showing their blemishes. This body and skin empowerment movement have been gaining more and more influence thanks to the younger generation. Well on its way to becoming the largest generation of consumers by 2020, Gen Zers are not afraid of exposing their issues and concerns and are motivated to search for more engaging, positive and uplifting content on social media. As opposed to the Millennial generation or Gen Y, they demand authenticity, realness and imper fect-but-meaningful experiences. This shift in values has prompted major changes in the ad vertising and media sectors. The transition from televisions to computers to smartphones as primary media vehicles coincided with the substitution of perfect brand testimonials by new influencers/creators.  As a young adult and teenage entertainment is aimed at social media and video platforms such as Instagram and Youtube, the content creators and digital influencers who are tasked with at tracting this young audience (and consequently brands) are in the position of revealing their complex personalities with authenticity and realness.
 

1. The rise of acne and non-edited selfies posted on social media pieces of evidence two fundamental Gen Z traits: authenticity and realness. Brands promoting hyper athletic bodies and unrealistic, unconnected impressions will be ignored. It is very essential to promote the new concept of the beauty.

2. As opposed to Millennial or Gen Y, today’s teenagers and young adults are not afraid of revealing their imperfections, issues, and concerns

3. Gen Zer’s are searching for more authentic influencer who are uninhibited to reveal their complex personalities and honest and vulnerable lives. Brand’s honesty in representation of the beauty in all skin, shape and sizes will be considered as a honest brand and it will sell more.
 

The most talked about generation of millennials is under the most unpleasant of the situations. With the rampant growth of depression and mental illness amongst the millennials, experts from all over the world deem this a dislodged generation. Reports show that this generation is in need of help more than ever before. The depression rate among millennials is much higher than the baby boomers. The growing insecurities in life are the biggest cause of depression. From job insecurity to societal pressures, everything adds to the mental state of this generation. However, millennials are much more upfront and honest about their emotional state. They are open to asking for help if they are in need of it. Research shows that millennials place much importance in emotional well-being or self-care than the previous generations. Self-care’ has reached a five year high on Google searches and according to Dr.Chris Mendenwal, millennials spend twice as much on self-care in comparison to baby-boomers. The value of the health and wellness market in the UK increased from around £20 billion in 2013 to over £23 billion in 2018. Millennials have joined hands with technology, the most infamous of the means, to tackle depression.  
 

KEY OPPORTUNITIES
 

In order to attract more consumers and make them feel calm and composed, packaging will origami technique and will appear to be closer to nature. Consumers will investigate a way to find playful and interactive packaging ideas 
 

Self-care’ has reached a five year high on Google searches and according to Dr.Chris Mendenwal, millennials spend twice as much on self-care in comparison to baby-boomers. The value of the health and wellness market in the UK increased from around £20 billion in 2013 to over £23 billion in 2018
 

Young people are facing ‘eco-anxiety’ amid heightened climate change debate, Child psychologist Andrew Greenfield said The panic sparked by the climate change debate has raised fears that the mental wellbeing of young people is suffering. Child psychologist Andrew Greenfield explained that ‘eco-anxiety’ comes from young people feeling ‘helpless’ about the environment.

 

Source: F-TREND.COM