The world is changing, and with it, the brand-consumer relationship. People no longer trust institutions. Hidden fees, underhanded tactics, and shoddy customer service have jaded the population causing most people to approach companies with a healthy dose of skepticism.
Technology has also played a role. Social media is a chief catalyst of this seismic shift in the relationship between people and institutions. In many ways, it has democratized communication, breaking down the previous barriers which separated the average Joe and the corporate CEO. This unseats companies from their proverbial pedestal and positions them on a more equal level with their consumers.
This evolution of the brand-consumer relationship means the old advertising rules no longer apply. Gone is the Mad Men era where consumers would bow to the bidding of billboards. The status quo has reversed. Now advertising must aspire to prove brands’ humanity and win consumer trust.
At the forefront of this evolution is Boston’s Hill Holliday and Mullen. Hill Holliday, recently named top shop in Massachusetts by AdWeek, published a whitepaper last month titled “Welcome to the Human Era,” detailing why simply being more human is today’s path to marketing success. Their work with Liberty Mutual shows their human philosophy in action. See their spot below aptly titled “Humans.”
Mullen joins Hill Holliday at the forefront of this trend, launching a multiplatform campaign for Jetblue called “Air on the Side of Humanity”. The campaign positions Jetblue as on a mission to restore humanity to airtravel and your most humane option for air travel.
Hill Holliday, Mullen, and others pioneering a more human approach to advertising understand today’s consumer. They are not impressed by a company’s size or stock value. What they crave is connection.
“Consumers are seeking not just to buy something, but to buy into something,” says Hill Holliday. Instead of feeling invisible, consumers desire a relationship with the people to whom they are handing over their hard-earned cash. True value today lies not in selling your product, but in telling your story. It should be all advertisers’ mission to tell a brands story which showcases humanity, transparency, and integrity.
Stay tuned for ways to make your marketing more human.
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