Human Truths and Your Brand Create Lasting Connections

During the past decade, the ad industry has focused a lot on technology, at the expense of “big ideas.” No doubt, this focus has led to an abundance of valuable innovation, but it has also been a distraction. The industry has lost sight of the one thing that can make the difference between being remembered...or forgotten. That valued connection is “human truths.”

This concept is a part of every respected brand or big idea that has made that brand the cherished icon it is today. Why? Because these truths connect with those feelings and beliefs that lie deeply within each of us. Quite simply, it’s the connection that creates the bond every brand seeks and that is loyalty.

Here are a couple of brands that have captured generations with these human truths:

Love:  Love that lasts a lifetime.  “A Diamond Is Forever”  (DeBeers) 

Performance:  The promise of achieving greatness.  “Just Do It”  (Nike)

Connection:  The drink that brings friends together. “Buy The World A Coke” (Coca Cola)

So, how can we connect in a world filled with constant distractions?  In a word, empathy. That’s simply “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.”

In other words, to create meaningful and lasting connections for a brand, we need to put ourselves in another’s shoes and make an honest effort to understand what they’re going through and what is of true importance in their lives.

Big ideas that make a positive impression on an audience begin with empathy and the human truth, whether it’s love, strength, or connection, the spark. That’s followed by the creativity, thought, design, and the words and visuals, which create an unforgettable brand story. An idea that finds its way into the hearts and minds of your audience. And that idea not only gets remembered but prompts action on the part of those who are moved by it.

Like to find the human truth in your brand? Why not give John Wagoner, senior brand strategist & account supervisor a call or send him an email. This could be the spark that makes a lasting connection for your brand.                                                            

                   (An excerpt, in part, from an article published in “Ad Age,” Oct. 5, 2020, adage.com)