Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM AUGUST 2019 46 As an advisor and consultant on brand strategy, organizational life, and humanized marketing strategy, Steve has worked with companies such as Samsung, Habitat for Humanity, New Balance, Sony, LG, Amazon, NFL and MLB franchises and is a regular speaker for TEDx, Creative Mornings, CES, HOW Conference, Social Venture Network, American Marketing Association, and AIGA conferences. Author of Brand Love and Loyalty and Humanizing the Customer Journey, and the forthcoming book, The Evolved Brand: How to Impact the World Through the Power of Your Brand, Steve has been featured in Business Week, Brand Week, Ad Age, Conscious Company Magazine, and HOW magazines. Steve leads his own brand and business strategic consultancy, Mth Degree. Contact: Steve at steven@theMthDegree.com, 619-234-1211 or www.theMthDegree.com Steven Morris On Brand H ow would you go about finding and attracting more customers if traditional and digital marketing were taken off the table? No email, Facebook, or Google. No digital outlets or tools to measure where customers are coming from or what they're doing. No print, TV or radio advertising. Where would you begin? If I had to guess, I imagine you'd start with people. You'd look at the people who build your products and services and the people who buy them, and you'd take really good care of these people. You'd make sure to give them exceptional care, so they'll spread the word. With no other marketing outlets, everyone on your team would become really good at making human connections. You'd know your customers by their first name. You'd be upfront and shoot straight and look them in the eye. You'd express your gratitude. We humans are hard-wired to connect and collaborate. In some deep part of us, we all seek belonging. Not just "fitting in" or playing a role, but a real sense of belonging that's based on a fellow-feeling with our coworkers and customers. If digital suddenly disappeared and you opted to replace it with a human-centered approach, you'd quickly find yourself migrating away from a mentality of lack and competition. You'd find yourself planting roots of collaboration that would yield rich fruits – you'd be bolder, braver, and you'd feel more connected. None of this is new – it's the way businesses have always succeeded, by putting people first. But people skills can start to take second place in the digital age, where everyone is touting the latest and greatest way to pull the Big Data levers and sell, sell, sell. It's harder to look people in the eye and truly care, and it's harder to make quality products and services that go above and beyond. While data is helpful, in the end it's just data. It doesn't create anything new, and it doesn't predict the future. The more we over-rely on data, the more we're apt to forget the human connections where the very best marketing happens. Word of mouth is still the most effective way to spread the news about your brand. Research by Nielsen found that 83% of consumers completely or somewhat trust recommendations about products and services from family, colleagues, and friends. Personal recommenda- tions are still the best-ranked measure of trustworthiness, even in the digital age. Cultivating word-of-mouth is harder than it looks. Sure, we'd love it if everyone who liked our products or services would tell their friends. But we need to take proactive steps to make sure it happens. If you want people to start talking about your brand, consider the following: • How does it make your brand look when you ask for referrals? How can you ask in a way that doesn't make your customers uneasy? • Have you made it easy for your customers to explain the benefits of your products or services to others? • In what ways have you made it easy for them to refer you to their friends? • Are you giving your customers a discount for referring their friends? Is that a good or a bad thing? • Have you made it safe for your customers to refer people to you? What's your backup plan when things don't work out? Will the referred customers be able to resolve their issues quickly and easily? To get people talking about your brand, you need to make it safe, worthwhile and fun and help people feel comfortable to spread the word. Some question to consider: • Are your digital branding and marketing efforts distracting you from human interactions? • Is a digital mindset limiting your ability to connect with and help your customers? • Have you humanized your marketing to the point where you're actually learning from your customers? • Is the culture that drives your customer service connected to the beliefs of your brand? As digital becomes an increasingly important part of your marketing mix, human interaction and care are still the most important pillars of your business. It's important to keep the human element in the way you market, tell your story and build your brand. WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITHOUT MARKETING? RO

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