By Chuck Morris
What in the world do we mean by “Marketing at Human Scale?” Or, drop the marketing part for now – what is “human scale?”
Human scale is a term typically used in architecture and interior design to describe the built environment’s purpose to meet human needs – often physical needs. If you’ve ever been to a restaurant where the table was higher than your chair or vice versa, you’ve got the idea. Human scale is “purpose-built” to “fit” how a typical human being might interact with a building, a piece of furniture, or a tool of some sort.
But it’s not just physical; it’s also emotional. Anyone remember those “fat” pencils they made us use in first grade when we were trying to learn to write? I didn’t like them. They didn’t feel right, and I thought my writing looked ugly when I used them, so that made me feel unsuccessful. Or maybe you’ve been in a city where all the buildings on a street just felt oppressive in scale, with concrete, steel, and glass looming over you, making you feel small. No doubt there have been many times when you’ve felt it when something was off, though you may not have been able to put your finger on why. (See what I did there?)
Not surprisingly, marketing is very much the same. At our firm, when we say we do marketing at human scale, we mean that we build brand strategies and messaging for our clients that connect with their customers on a very human level – an emotional level. They resonate with people because they’re authentic and they “fit.” They fit because we’ve taken the time to listen and to truly understand who that customer is and what they need.
We all know intuitively that some basic human needs are to be seen, felt, and heard as an individual. When we feel like “just a number,” as in the mass marketing approaches of the past, we tend to tune out whatever a company is trying to say to us in their marketing.
In human scale, television and radio campaigns, social posts, web content, print media, and corresponding user interfaces – everything you can think of – is customized and “purpose-built” for the individual. This is what Philip Kotler (arguably the so-called “Father of Modern Marketing,” Kellogg School, Northwestern University) calls a “Segment of One” in his book Marketing 5.0.
One-size-fits-all marketing campaigns are no longer as effective because people are looking for brands to build an honest-to-goodness emotional connection with them. Marketers are expected to truly connect with their prospects on a uniquely human level and anticipate their needs often before they ask. It’s a tall order. Add artificial intelligence to the mix, plus the almost-impossible-to-keep-up acceleration of life in general, and you have a business problem that is very difficult for business owners to solve.
This is where we are today in marketing theory and practice. A large group of people defined by common demographics, and perhaps psychographics, can no longer be reached very effectively. This fragmentation started in the ’90s and has been splintering ever since, all the way to ONE. It’s expensive for marketers to reach individual humans in marketing, but the data shows that it is typically worth it in increased average transaction spend, loyalty, lifetime value, and general goodwill.
The fundamental principle is to ensure that your marketing has a bedrock of communication and understanding that resonates deeply: “I see you. I feel you. I hear you.”
So, how do you do #marketingathumanscale? Here are a few thoughts on what works in our experience.
1. Be human. As much as a brand can be, be real. True understanding, empathy, and tone in messaging all go a long way with today’s consumers, now five generations with very different preferences.
2. Be authentic. Obviously, consumers can smell when brands are trying to manipulate them. Don’t.
3. Be simple. In a world cluttered more than ever with marketing of all kinds in a multitude of channels, brands that make the buying process simple, that avoid jargon, and that tap into the elusive human craving for a sense of simple stillness (especially today) win. Remember the first ad you saw on television that had no sound?
4. Be a servant. Brands exist to serve human needs, but historically they have always tried to elevate themselves at their customers’ expense. Remember that your business only exists because someone – ONE – had a need that you could fill. Intellectual humility and servant leadership is very attractive. Yes, even for a brand.
With a bit of a mindset shift and some careful listening and research, brands can build authentic campaigns that connect at human scale. Try it and let me know how it goes.
Chuck Morris is a fractional CMO to several companies and also principal and founder of Morris, a marketing, branding, advertising, and digital media company headquartered in Knoxville. The company website is Morris.Agency.