Liana
Why is empathy and emotional sensitivity so important today in marketing?
Being a highly sensitive person is quite challenging at times, but I hear from people and mentors that it's important to be empathic. Knowing what makes people tick FASCINATES me. #business #marketing #communications #strategic-communications
6 answers
Daniela Silva
Daniela’s Answer
Hi Liana,
Empathy and Emotions are so important in Marketing, that nowadays we have the Neuromarketing:
All marketers know that our tastes, emotions and actions are determined in the brain; however, the ability of traditional research to capture the preferences of consumers is limited since more than 85% of brain activity is unconscious.
Neuromarketing companies apply advanced technologies of brain science to understand consumers’ reaction to marketing and advertising. Thus, scientific marketing complements traditional research, which is based on asking questions.
By using proven and statistical processes, Neuromarketing explores brain spaces which consumers are not conscious of or don’t know how to describe, generating data and high value conclusions for companies.
The most powerful Neuromarketing technique is Electroencephalography (EEG), which focuses on measuring electrical activity on the brain. There are other biometric techniques that measure the consumers’ body reaction to stimulus (such as a video ad or a product package).
The first scientific marketing labs were developed in the 90’s and many companies like Pepsi, CBS and Google have applied this new form of market research continuously to measure their target reaction to their ads and products.
Source: http://neuromarketing.org.mx/en/que-es-neuromarketing/
In the video below, you can understand in practice how Neuromarketing works in people´s brain:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xqdx75m9xT8
Best!
Hi Daniela! Thanks so much for taking the time to answer many of my questions. You're a good resource and I'm glad you're interested in this material! I'll take a look at the links too!
Liana
Natalie St. Denis
Natalie’s Answer
The very best Sales and Marketing people I've worked with were people where are: a) very self-aware and b) even more aware of their Target Audiences needs, obstacles, doubts, and all the spectrum of intangible emotions that come into play when choosing which company to partner with, or which technology to buy.
Having said that, Marketing can be a tough role. The responsibility/visibility is high. You have both Business Leaders and your sales force that look to you for leadership, guidance, and the crystal ball on the marketplace (what will happen with your customers, your market dynamics, your competitors - all both locally and internationally) - so that you can take informed "measured risk" actions to lead to commercial success.
So you have to be tough and resilient to "take it all in" and know what to do with all the feedback that you'll get from Customers and your own colleagues. I've worked in MedTech and High Tech Fields and in Management Consulting. You can't really dawdle on hurt feelings - meaning, you can't take it personally if they don't like your video or your brand marketing program or your sales tool etc etc etc. My most significant feelings of satisfaction came from Sales VPs - a YEAR LATER - trying to pay a compliment on whatever Marketing Campaign or Sales Tool was created. (it can take more than a year!) Or, when you have a Customer (e.g. the Chief of Neurosurgery) tell you how humbling it is to work with you/your team (super-bonus if that's said in front of the Engineers! LOL!).
Ailee Keenan
Ailee’s Answer
Remy Champion
Remy’s Answer
If you look for the right company and industry to take your marketing skills, something that interests you, it will help. Additionally, you might consider harnessing your marketing skills for good, at a nonprofit or some other type of "for good" company.
It's all about how you deliver the empathy, and speak to and showcase your strengths. It is not only great for marketing, but it will also often make you a great teammate to work with and an asset for your whole team and company.
Alex Crispino
Alex’s Answer
Alex., Thanks so much for your answer. I appreciate it. I took a strategic communication course and found it very helpful and I've also read about emotional intelligence.
Liana
Mounia Mrhizou
Mounia’s Answer
They surely are important along with other skills but both are probably important because one of the strongest tools in marketing is emotions, also one of the roles of a marketer is to understand the needs of the consumer, and so empathy would be helpful here. Another role is to help the brand to be associated and remembered when feeling a need which in psychology is called classical conditioning (If interested you can look up how we use this Pavlov’s theory in marketing) humans remember emotional moments the most, so creating an emotion about a brand and building relationship between the consumer and the brand is the result that you want a good marketer to bring to the table, so emotional sensitivity and empathy would play a major role in getting that result.
Hi Mounia! Sorry for the delayed response! Thanks so much for this detailed and helpful answer!!!
Liana