The Human Era: Brands that Think and Act Like Humans

Ever wonder how Apple, Nike and Disney do such a great job in keeping loyal consumers? One of the key components of their marketing involves humanizing their brand. The societal shift from traditional brand relationships to brands acting more “human” has become known as the “Human Era”.

What is the Human Era?

As a result, brand strategy and design firm Lippincott in conjunction with advertising agency Hill Holliday created The Human Era Index, a survey of 5,000 consumers on 300 well known brands, to reveal which brands top the charts on creating and maintaining the trust relationship between brand and consumer. The Human Era Index is defined by the qualities humanized brands tend to possess: openness, honesty, exciting, empathetic and even flawed.

The brands who are most successful at engaging new customers and keeping them engaged are talking and acting like a human beings. The companies with the top ten brands in the world are consistent in focusing on how to humanize their brand and identify with their target audience.

How Do Brands Respond to the Human Era?

Changes such as removing info@ email addresses on email communications and moving away from the “make, sell, broadcast” model of marketing has set the foundation for these Human Era companies to connect with their consumer base. Brands who take control of their social media channels and utilize them to act more like people have the ability to empathize and relate with their target audience. It has been working for them, and it is clear that the Human Era is here to stay for the foreseeable future.

Read the full article How to be a ‘human era’ brand to discover the steps your brand can take to becoming a more humanized brand.