There’s no denying that some of the best service led brands have done a great job at integrating themselves into our lives, but the real question we need to ask, is have they got a special place in your heart? Simon Sinek has been championing the power of winning hearts as well as minds for the past seven years, yet we still see so many apps and digital services focusing solely on their product perfection instead of their emotional connection. USP’s are a rare find these days and too many digital brands concentrate on selling the features of their products instead of the benefits of it in use. The truth is, it’s balancing act and not an easy one at that but if you fail to crack both then the only path you’ll be on is the road to brand disengagement. So in this article we’re going to give 3 tops tips on how to win over the hearts of consumers as well as focussing on the minds.
1. Use relatable data to connect
If you’re a service led brand with a great customer facing product, you are very likely to have access to great data, but the important question is, how are you using it to form emotional connections? Sure it’s integral to refining your service but it’s equally as important to utilise your data to engage beyond the product. A brilliant example of this is Spotify, everyday they use our data to recommend song preferences and custom playlists, it’s what keeps us discovering and using the service. But what they did to further build that emotional relationship was take the data they had to create an awareness campaign that formed a bond and human connection. This was a bond with Spotify, the music and the thousands of other users that also listened to “Its the end of the world as we know it on” after Brexit. And it worked, with results from YouGov showing that Spotify’s ad awareness scores increased by 5 points whilst its word of mouth exposure score improved by 16 points. So how about it, take a look at your data and see how you can use it to cleverly target and start conversations to stay top of mind outside your service.
2. Use real stories to stay relevant
At Mattr.Media we champion creating real stories for many reasons, it feels honest, it’s engaging and it’s transparent but whilst we’ve seen a shift in feedback lovers and social media reviews so many services forget the importance of testimonials. People buy what other people buy. Your biggest advertisers are your customers and it’s technically free media, yet many brands don’t utilise their client base when it comes to testimonial content. If you need some inspiration, AirBnB are probably the best example of a brand that nailed testimonials from both a customer and supplier perspective. If you haven’t already check out the AirBnB stories playlist and Why I became a host to see how they took real stories to sell the emotional impact of their brand. If your product and service is up to scratch it’s no brainer for your next recruitment campaign.
Top tip from us: The art of doing a testimonial well, is through telling an emotive story. Don’t just point a camera at your subject and feed them answers to regurgitate back, take the viewer on a journey they can resonate with.
3. Use your employees (in a nice way)
It sounds so obvious, but so many businesses don’t use the stories of their employees to connect. Whether they are your designers, drivers, deliverers or even customer support, showing the people who form the business helps to build customer confidence and trust that you’re a decent brand. Last year we worked with Chip, the digital money saving app to help raise funding for the brand, showcasing Chip’s journey to becoming a bank, allowed Chip to put a face to the brand and involved the viewer in the brand journey. This personal non-generic approach helps to cement the brand the customers mind and provides them with human connection. Or you could take a leaf out of Deliveroo and Aecom’s book, who used their staff to promote the life changing affects the business has on everyday people. The important thing is making your brand human. Yes, we might be living in a tech obsessed world but everyone wants, needs and looks for is security and trust. Show it with your staff. And don't forget the obvious benefits of engaging your staff means that you’re able to use it for recruitment drives, employee engagement and customer facing content.
So no matter what sector you are in, these three principles are applicable to every business who is providing a service. And the best thing about it? You should already have the tools in place to fuel these outputs. Look back through your data collection, review your social channels for feedback and listen to your employees to see how they can help promote your brand. Whether it be through thought leadership, event hosting, out of home campaigns, online video or even TV, take time to plan out the best win you can win hearts and not just minds.
It will benefit your business so much more in the long run!
At Mattr Media we partner with brands and agencies who want capture real stories about the people and places that matter. We think about the purpose of your brand and it's relevance in today’s society.
For more information contact stef@mattr.media or visit mattr.media