“Put yourself in their shoes.” My parents always encouraged me to practice this way of thinking. I did not realize it at the time, but they were teaching me to be empathetic.
So, what is empathy? Simply stated, it is “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another”—the critical intersection between us and others. In branding, it is how we create relevant new products, deliver superior service and, over time, build trust.
Be genuine
You cannot fake empathy. If your branded experience authentically demonstrates it cares about the customer, their subconscious will quickly develop positive feelings and they will make purchases; success will follow. If not, your brand may suffer the beginning of a decline. In a recent PwC study*, 38 percent of customers reported brand service providers do not understand their needs. This experience ultimately leads to share loss. So how do you create a more customer-centric, empathetic brand?
Employing an empathy map
One process is to complete an Empathy Map Canvas**. This tool was developed by Dave Gray and refined based on his experience working with Alex Osterwalder, designer of the Business Model Canvas. The Empathy Map puts employees in the customer’s shoes by asking:
- WHO are we empathizing with?
- What do they need to DO?
- What do they SEE?
- What do they SAY?
- What do they DO?
- What do they HEAR?
- What do they THINK and FEEL?
Once this exercise is completed, it must be applied along the customer’s purchase journey. Then, the results need to be shared throughout the company. More importantly, the organization must dedicate ongoing resources to better understand customer needs and track the ever-increasing brand options available to them.
Sources:
* 6 Ways to Build a CustomerCentric Culture, by Denise Lee Yohn
Credit to Jim Cobb (The Bloodhound Group)
English 
Spanish