Talking about successful branding hinges on many things: consistency, content, experience, curation and much more. However in a world where we see everything being marketed to us, we barely remember what truly got us goose-bumps-kind-of feeling when we read a brand message or seeing a woman’s face less scarred on a billboard when people start to look at her, it’s this campaign.

Come to think of it, whether you are a B2B, B2C or B2B2C brand, you have one common element – you are dealing with people and not tools, products or services.

So what is the key to a successful business branding?

Branding is not short-lived; it’s an impact that lasts.

And there is one key to make it last – and etched – in the mind of your consumer; it is empathy, as nicely articulated in this article: Empathy, Distillation, Clarity – The Principles Of Brand Simplicity.

By empathy I mean understanding and relating to how your customers/ consumers feel, act and reflect their deepest needs, desires and aspirations.

The world we live in is more connected, emotional (be it social or personal), and inspired (fundamentally motivated).

The brand value is relational than transactional – and people are eventually drawn towards brands that convey a deeper message – engulfing their audience’s emotions and providing them with coherent and meaningful messages.

Branding – be it business or personal – is not just about packaging and glittering blue ribbons; it’s about digging into the undercurrents of what defines your essence and playing with the fundamentals better than your market ecosystem.

Being empathetic with your consumers, as a result, will always give you a long-lasting edge, as emotions are dynamic depending on who you are catering to. But empathy drives you to be more agile with your audience – be it communicating your message through marketing collateral (they won’t sound canned) or if you are venturing into social conversations (you will me more connected, personalized, and tuned in with your communication).

Have empathy with your audience – and see your business thrive!