Shikha SaxenaAug 6·4 min read

Understanding the feeling of others and act accordingly is the greatest quality of all. When this quality of empathy is also used in strategizing product Marketing it work wonders. Empathy based Marketing is the true winner while customer’s likes and emotions are properly understood and catered. After all customer is the King!

What is Empathy?

Empathy is truly understanding others situation, by feeling the same emotions at the same time and reacting by considering yourself in that person’s scenario. It is different from Sympathy where you you pity and feel sorrow for person’s sufferings. Seeing things from suffering person’s point of view.

According to psychology empathy is very subjective topic though may be clearly divided into three categories: Cognitive, Emotional and Compassionate empathy.

Cognitive Empathy: Knowing how a person feels or what that person is thinking by understanding their perspective and thinking from their point of view.

This cognitive emotional quality is good to motivate others, for negotiations and understanding diverse perspective in virtual meeting and so on. Shows your understanding nature, thought and intellect.

Emotional Empathy: This is the true category of empaths . Those who completely feel the feelings of another person at the same time.

This is the contribution of the action of Mirror Neurons (type of brain cells). These neurons action is fired when empaths see somebody in extreme emotions as pain and happiness and disgust.

Empaths also react to the emotional situation in the same way and can have similar feeling at the same time.

Connecting with other human in similar way forms a strong bond and healthy long lasting relationship.

“Voila”!

This is one of the greatest quality that is considered most while discussing Marketing strategy. To understand the customer need and look from their point of view.

This emotional quality is required in maintaining Interpersonal relationships, profession of Coaching, Marketing, Management and HR.

Compassionate Empathy: This quality not only let empaths feel the emotions of other person but also take appropriate action to help them if need be. This involves all intellect, emotions and solution in form of action!

Compassionate empathy strikes the balance between Cognitive and Emotional empathy. Compassionate Empathy takes the middle ground in handling situations with emotional intelligence and responding to situation with right loving detachment.

This emotional quality is what we are expecting in the world to make it a better place!

Empathy in Marketing

Marketing is the promotion of business activities, good and services to target audience and customers. Marketing activities which are set of processes, communications, campaigns where deliveries and offerings are made to customers, clients and societies — — Empathy is beneficial.

Marketers to whom Customers come first, it is essential to develop bond with customers and touch their nerve, through the means of communications, to offer the product. It is essential to listen and observe customers understand their needs and pain points and cater accordingly.

It is important to develop digital conversation with customers and provide useful content/product. It is always good to maintain proximity with customers through social media channels and campaigns to inform them about new product in market. Think and be in their position to understand them better and provide solutions accordingly.

Empathy allows you to understand target customers by getting into their shoes, by capacity to share and feel the emotions experienced by customers.

Here comes another term of Brand empathy.

Brand Empathy: Customers whose product needs and pain points are catered well develop brand empathy and become loyal customers to product brand services.

Marketing good for empaths?

It is a feel good technique. Get into the shoes of product customers, respond to their requirements, listen to their needs and customize the solutions. This way Marketers may produce loyal customers and make business a tremendous success.

Empathy is the key to marketing. when marketers are empathetic they nurture customers better. They connect the prospective customers at emotional level and build genuine long term relationship.

Empathy Map created by Dave Gray has gained popularity among agile community. Empathy map provides group of users or a customer segment.

Greater empathy means more helping nature which helps to provide greater and meaningful solutions to cater different segment of target customers according to their product need.

Integrating Empathy with Marketing produce amazing results. This stands true for all kind of Traditional, Digital, Social media, Content, Inbound, Outbound, Influencer, Search Engine, Video, Brand and Product Marketing.

The Highest form of Knowledge is Empathy customize it to Connect, Communicate and Change the world around you!