Brand humanity – what it is and why it works!

In part 3 of our blog serialisation of the latest Webhelp whitepaper “Emotion: Establishing emotional connections with customers: What brands need to know” A driving force in the ‘Think Human’ re-brand, Polly Ashdown, Marketing & Communications Director Webhelp UK, India & South Africa, reveals how brand humanity can create positive emotion and prevent disruption in CX.

As the range of digital consumer platforms and devices multiply, customer relationships are increasingly being disrupted by digital communications. Used to getting what they want when they want it, customers now expect brands to interact with them across each touch-point consistently – and in line with their expectations.

The brands that are able to speak with customers – rather than at them – will create and reinforce emotional connection. As our new YouGov consumer research shows, the impact of brand humanity on consumer behaviour cannot be underestimated. And neither can the impact on measurable outcomes including spend, loyalty and advocacy.

But how important is this connection to the customer, and consequentially to brands? Overall, 40% of consumers report feeling an emotional connection to a brand, and this connection makes them behave in different ways towards the brand.

In fact, of those who said they feel an emotional connection to one or more brands, 54% of people are prepared to pay slightly more for products/services, 66% are more loyal to the brand, 55% are likely to purchase other products/services, 63% recommend the brand to family and friends, and 49% share experiences of the brand.

Revealingly, only 4% of customers reported that having an emotional connection to a brand would NOT make them behave in a particular way, when talking to friends and family.

And these results become all the more interesting when we look at the source of emotional connection. The top 5 ways in which people feel emotionally connected to a brand are: The overall customer experience (53%), The brand is easy to deal with (38%), The brand’s values are similar to mine (34%), The quality of interactions with the brand (26%), The brand is ‘human’ (22%).

As we can see, customers reward brands who successfully demonstrate humanity with loyalty, advocacy, and their cash. If brands are perceived as ‘human’, customers are more likely to: Emotionally connect with the brand (net likely 56%), Go back to the brand repeatedly, rather than trying a different brand (net more likely 69%), Spend more money with the brand (net ‘more likely’ 61%), Recommend the brand to other people (net ‘more likely’ 67%). People in the ABC1 (the three higher social and economic groups) bracket are more likely than C2DE (the three lower social and economic groups) respondents to take positive actions towards a brand because it feels ‘human’.

Brands therefore have an opportunity to leverage emotional connection as a powerful driver of positive behaviours with customers with disposable income.

Brands that really ‘get’ the importance of a human angle look at making connection in the most human way possible. They’re less focused on the transaction – i.e. of selling the product, or answering the question – they’re focused on building trust, anticipating customer needs, and giving customers the edge. They know that consistency is key to trust and credibility, and focus on the entire experience, rather than one element of the customer journey.

In a nutshell, brands that are human are good at building relationships. They design customer experience from the customer’s ‘ideal’ of a relationship, and with a good understanding of their motivations. Customer insight and analytics are key to making sure that everything – from messaging, the language and channels used – correspond to the customer’s ‘ideal’.

At Webhelp, we’re using customer insight and analytics to create experiences that are human. While technology is inevitably core to customer experience, we always view technology from the standpoint of how it can augment the end to end experience and bring out the best in people.

Consider emotional connection as a hierarchy. Clearly, there are functional “transactional” things that need to ‘get done’, but there are experiences that need to happen in order to form emotional connection, and achieve the holy grail of loyalty and advocacy.

You can follow blog the serialisation, and join the conversation, on the Webhelp LinkedIn and Twitter sites or read the Whitepaper in full below.

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Industry expert Scott Logie on why emotional connection works

In part 3 of our blog serialisation of the latest Webhelp whitepaper “Emotion: Establishing emotional connections with customers: What brands need to know” here industry expert Scott Logie, Customer Engagement Director, REaD Group and Chair of the DMA Customer Engagement Committee, shares his view.

For the DMA’s Customer Engagement Committee members, the topic of emotional connection is very important. As consumers we have emotions. We feel strongly about brands. It therefore makes sense that brands build on this.

However, ‘connection’ differs from brand to brand and it’s not always straightforward to pinpoint the drivers.

Take a dating company for example. An emotional connection is actually what their customers are buying. There’s an assumption that openness will be quite high, and that extroversion would be highly correlated with openness. However, in work we did for a leading dating agency, this was not the case for all customer segments. Rather than being driven by traditional demographics (age or gender for example) or personality traits, we found that segments are actually driven by behaviour and life-stage.

Emotional connection is key to loyalty. DMA Research reveals interesting similarities - and differences - regarding brand loyalty. All brands can have a ‘functional loyalty’ that’s based on the right method, the right product or service and the right price. That’s the baseline.

In financial services for example, unless you get the functional stuff right, there’s no point in brands trying to tap into emotions. On the other hand, consumers are increasingly ‘big’ on ethics and morals in certain sectors, and some will actively seek out brands that treat people fairly and are concerned about the environment.

In terms of ‘tactics’, rewards don’t play a big role in terms of loyalty to brands, with the exception of supermarkets, which is hardly surprising as we’re well trained in terms of supermarket rewards.

However, even here there are some interesting findings. Financial services organisations typically don’t offer rewards, yet in our research consumers stated that they would respond favourably to them.

In the YouGov survey for Webhelp: Only 18% of respondents said that they consider things like “if the brand gives me personalised rewards (e.g. birthday vouchers, discount codes, etc.)” when thinking about if they are are emotionally connected to a brand.

By far the biggest complaint in the DMA’s survey was a ‘lack of consistency’. Often consumers will get a campaign they’re interested in, but when they respond it’s a real “oh no” moment when they try to contact the brand via the website, on social, or by telephone and the experience doesn’t follow suit. Customers are more demanding than ever, so ignore consistency at your peril…

It’s worth noting that organisational structure can be a barrier to consistency – with siloed teams being the biggest challenge. Unless there’s an executive sponsor or a key driver to change that, then brands will struggle. Certain companies realise this; Santander, for example, is trying to unify across all their teams and consider the end to end customer journeys. However, by and large, not enough is being done.

To conclude, while it’s possible to measure loyalty, the measurement of emotional connection has some way to go. Many brands don’t know where to start, although some companies we work with analyse demographics and behaviours, overlaying data from Mention Me, a ‘refer a friend’ platform. It’s not highly scientific, but it does give a measure of loyalty and recommendation.

The DMA’s Customer Engagement Committee was put together to help brands reach and engage customers and develop customer loyalty across all channels. Its mantra is to combine data, technology and creativity to help brands dramatically improve their campaign results.

You can follow blog the serialisation, and join the conversation, on the Webhelp LinkedIn and Twitter sites or read the Whitepaper in full below.

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Spotlight on the work of Operation Hunger, Webhelp charity partner for 2020

Webhelp is delighted to be working with Operation Hunger as their new charity partner in South Africa for 2020. Dr Selma Browde and Dr Nthato Motlana started the charity in 1978, and together with a group of caring individuals and organisations, they began to combat the anguish and toll malnutrition had inflicted on the South African people and its economy.

Over the past 40 years, the charity has grown to be a driving force in South Africa, inspiring positive action to fight against hunger in homes, schools and communities. It uses sustainable methods that empower people at a grass roots level, to tackle this vital issue.

Sandy Bukula, Acting CEO & Business Development Director at Operation Hunger explains:

“Our focus is on engaging and collaborating with vulnerable people, to help them become active agents of change, forming constructive partnerships that directly address the problems associated with chronic malnutrition and poverty.”

Here we share three short spotlights on the incredible and varied work of the charity, and the communities and people who are active in the fight against hunger.

Mama Queen, helping the fight against childhood malnutrition

Elizabeth Malan, affectionately called “Mama Queen,” started as a volunteer for Operation Hunger in the year 2009. She works hard in the Rooi Rand soup kitchen in Northern Cape with other staff members and volunteers to provide nutritious meals to children in the community.

Mama Queen is highly dedicated and has been elected as the secretary of the soup kitchens. She enjoys cooking, working in the garden harvesting vegetables for the kitchen and also takes charge of the recycling and running of the sewing project.

Mama Queen has now been with Operation Hunger for over nine years and is a loyal and much loved volunteer. She is still going strong and her hard work helps improve the community.

Operation Hunger staff and many volunteers have expressed high appreciation for all Mama Queen does at the kitchen and in the community.

Growing gardens, growing communities

Two Tunnel gardens, developed in partnership with Operation Hunger, at Chirela and Maseveni in Jane Furse Limpopo sell community grown vegetables, which are organic and free from poisonous agrichemicals.

The gardens were designed in a holistic manner and use permaculture principles to help disadvantaged families produce more food with fewer resources. The community is using compost made from animal waste, and other sustainable organic material.

The community have greatly invested in soil fertility through liquid organic fertilizers which they make from plants like comfrey, borage, stinging nettle and lucern. They plan to invest their income from the garden on other projects such as sewing and value-added food processing initiatives to boost their revenue and improve local commodity supply.

The Tunnel Gardens produce Spinach, Giant Red Mustard Greens, Savoy Perfection Cabbage, Curled Purple Wave Mustard and Red Russian Kale. This new source of nutrition in the Limpopo region has positively affected the quality of life for the community in Jane Furse. The project is also supported by the borehole water installed by Operation Hunger in every village.

Sweet success for self-help bakery

Operation Hunger has helped locals to establish a self-help Bakery in Hammarsdale Kwa-Zulu Natal. Overseen by KZN Regional Coordinator, Bheki Zuma, the kitchen is staffed by local women and provides delicious confectionaries, which are then sold in the community.

The women are passionate about the project, which, like many Operation Hunger operations, develops the community and creates self-sufficiency. This is considered the best solution for disadvantaged and malnourished communities, creating a lasting effect rather than just a stopgap solution.

We will be supporting Operation Hunger throughout the year and posting regular fundraising stories, led by our on-site Engagement Ambassadors at www.webhelp.com 

To find out more about the valuable work of Operation Hunger visit: www.operationhunger.org

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Emotion in CX, getting beyond the hype!

In part 2 of our blog serialisation of the latest Webhelp whitepaper “Emotion: Establishing emotional connections with customers: What brands need to know” Helen Murray, Chief Customer Solutions Officer – Webhelp UK, India and South Africa looks at how brands can get beyond the hype to find what will work for them.

Brands providing customer engagement services ignore the importance of emotional connection at their peril, as across all age groups, emotionally connected customers behave more positively towards brands.

Emotional connection is a hot topic. But how do brands get beyond the hype?

“Organisations tend to focus a lot of attention on executing short-term tactics that bring an immediate return on investment, but brands can gain bigger benefits when prioritising long-term strategies,” says Jo Causon, CEO at the Institute of Customer Service. She points out that “connections based on feelings last longer than those based on a transient need, resulting in loyalty that stays throughout the entire customer life-cycle.”

And, this loyalty can be strengthened by creating a brand identity that resonates with customers.

As Chris Bryson, Global Analytics Director at Webhelp, who is heavily involved in the company’s work on emotional connection, says:

“Customers feel most emotionally connected with a brand when its value proposition aligns with their motivations and desires. For example, people who strongly wish to “stand out from the crowd,” or “feel a sense of belonging” will choose products or services that help them experience that specific feeling. By understanding consumer motivations and engagement expectations, brands can create customer experience that is in accordance with these, and ensure it’s consistent across every customer touch-point.”

To do this brands must invest in tailored insight and analysis, as Rebecca Price, Partner at creative communications consultancy, Frank, Bright & Abel, adds “The key emotional motivators driving consumer behavior are unique to each brand and category. To identify what will work for their brand, marketers and customer experience professionals need to lean on data and analytics gleaned from consumers, social media listening or messaging analysis.”

Understanding how to leverage human brand attributes to cultivate emotional connection opens up vast potential for brands, as Polly Ashdown, Marketing and Communications Director, Webhelp UK, India & South Africa, points out:

“Brands that really ‘get’ the importance of a human angle, look at making connections

in the most human way possible. They’re less focused on the transaction – i.e. of selling the product or answering the question – they’re focused on building trust, anticipating customer needs, and giving customers the edge. They know that consistency is key to trust and credibility, and focus on the entire experience, rather than one element of the customer journey.”

This is echoed by Webhelp’s people, who are at the heart of customer engagement. They reveal the importance of human values in building customer relationships. As an advisor points out: “Empathy shows we are human beings beyond the processes and ways of working.” This human first approach is reinforced by our team leaders, one of whom explains that: “Advisors do their best to not only help their customers, but get everything solved in a way that matters for them.” This is a core value for Webhelp, as we do a human-centric job – with personalized contact on a daily basis. People are really at the heart of what we do.

As David Turner emphasises, there are no short cuts to achieve this:

“The desire to have emotional connection to a brand has to be part of each company's employee value proposition. The brand needs to have a strong vision, be worth working for, and appeal to customers, colleagues and shareholders. In the past, too much focus was placed on the latter, but today, the successful brands are able to articulate in a compelling and vibrant way, who they are and what they stand for. People aren’t looking for jobs any more, they’re looking for experiences. You need to take people on the journey.”

And as people are at the heart of customer experience, human interaction – and the art of conversation – are fundamental. As Webhelp’s founders, Olivier Duha and Frédéric Jousset explain: "We believe people connect best with people, and our emotional intelligence - together with our innovation is how we go the extra mile.”

You can follow blog the serialisation, and join the conversation, on the Webhelp LinkedIn and Twitter sites or read the Whitepaper in full below.

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Emotion in CX, Introduction from UK CEO David Turner

David Turner, Webhelp UK Group CEO, introduces the blog serialisation of our latest whitepaper “Emotion: Establishing emotional connections with customers: What brands need to know” 

Commissioned by leading customer experience provider Webhelp, the series will look at what brands need to know about emotional connections with customers and feature a range of industry experts.

Great brands make us feel something. They’re there where and when we need them. The best ones go further. They chat, share, understand, fix, reward and put people first.

In the midst of the feelings brands inspire, how many of us really think about what we’re buying and why?

An interesting question as apparently 95 percent* of our purchasing decisions take place in the subconscious mind, which is overseen by our emotions.

If we look specifically at research from the retail sector, it has been shown that customers who feel an emotional connection to a brand are far more valuable to that brand, spending twice as much than those just simply satisfied with the brand; they also have a 306% higher lifetime value, stay with a brand longer and recommend more**. To thrive in today’s competitive landscape, it is therefore very obvious that brands must cultivate an emotional connection with their customers.

As part of this third chapter of the Webhelp Disruptor Series, we have once again commissioned research through polling experts YouGov. This time, we took a deep dive into the hot topic of ‘emotional connection’ and explored to what extent emotional connections exist between consumers and brands, what forms an emotional connection, and how people behave if they are emotionally connected to a brand.

While emotional connection can – and does – exist, it is not reported by all consumers. However, the extent to which our research revealed that emotional connection positively impacts consumer behaviours was hugely encouraging. People really do buy more, remain loyal and recommend more if they are emotionally connected to a brand. And it was no surprise to me to see just how crucial customer experience is to forming these highly profitable emotional connections…

And at a time when Webhelp has just launched its new brand vision of ‘Making business more human’, it was particularly interesting to see just how important being a ‘human’ brand is to consumers. Heartening reading indeed for us all at Webhelp – and no doubt other industry professionals who read this paper.

A word of caution however. As many brands undergo digital transformation, the focus on emotional connection – as well as ‘human’ brand attributes - must not be overlooked.

Often, given the number of channels that can be used to communicate with customers, brands forget that connection is essentially ‘human to human.’ But if brands are unable to establish and maintain strong emotional bonds with customers they will most certainly get lost in the choppy seas of competition…

* Harvard Business School

** www.prnewswire.com

You can follow the blog serialisation, and join the conversation, on the Webhelp LinkedIn and Twitter sites or read the Whitepaper in full below.

by Webhelp

An Admiral Nurse’s story: Why the Dementia UK helpline is so important to families!

Webhelp is delighted to be working in partnership with Dementia UK as their corporate charity for 2020. When things get challenging or difficult, Admiral Nurses work alongside people with dementia, and their families: giving them one-to-one support, expert guidance and practical solutions. Today we talk to Admiral Nurse, Vicky Loewer, about her work on the Dementia UK Helpline and her personal commitment to fundraising.  

Tell us about the life-changing work you do with the Dementia UK helpline?

I have been working on the Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline since 2016. It is such a fulfilling role for me as I come into contact with a wide range of people. As dementia specialists, the Admiral Nurses on the Helpline provide the most appropriate advice, tailored to individual circumstances.

It doesn’t matter what stage of dementia a family is at as we support families throughout the progression of the condition.

Can you give a real life example of how a call can make a difference?

There was one woman whose family member was showing signs of dementia but was refusing to accept support or to acknowledge that there might be a problem. I talked to the woman to gain a thorough understanding of the family situation, such as how their loved one was coping with day-to-day life.

I advised her to approach these symptoms as a general medical condition so their family member would be less anxious about a GP appointment. Dementia still has a lot of stigma but as Admiral Nurses, we shine a light on the condition and help families feel more confident about it.

On this particular call, I highlighted the importance of getting an appointment with a GP as this can be the route to a diagnosis and could rule out other treatable conditions, which may have similar symptoms to dementia, like depression. I spoke to the woman about the importance of building up trust and to see if there was anyone that the family member would be most comfortable with in taking them to the GP.

Are there any challenges in working on the helpline?

A lot of the work of an Admiral Nurse is being aware of family dynamics and finding the best route forward in light of these, which is a challenging as well as fulfilling part of the role. I’m passionate about raising awareness of the vital work which Admiral Nurses do. There’s a great team of Admiral Nurses working on the Helpline already but we do need to continue to grow to support the increased number of calls we’re receiving.

We know you are a keen fundraiser for Dementia UK, can you share any experiences or ideas that our employees could use?

I know quite a few local people who have family members with dementia so I decided to hold a Time for a Cuppa event at our local church hall.

The church warden advertised the coffee morning to all church members and placed posters on the church notice board which was a great awareness boost for the event. I also emailed the local school, which is connected to the church, and they kindly sent an email out in support too.

There was a great turnout on the day with over 50 people attending over a 3 hour period! It was fantastic to be supported on the day by three friends and another Admiral Nurse, Barbara Fitzpatrick. My close friends donated cakes and I made three cakes myself.

Tell us more about the Time for a Cuppa campaign…

The next Time for a Cuppa campaign week will be held on the 1^st – 8^th March but you can hold your tea party on any day – or month – that suits you! Just Invite some guests, bake (or buy) some cakes, take some donations and enjoy catching up with friends and family!

I would say the more cakes you have the better - so consider finding a way to sell them if they do not all go on the day. We sold over half of the cakes at the coffee morning and the rest I sold as an after-school cake sale.

Time for a Cuppa is such a wonderful event which brings people from all walks of life together. It’s a huge honour to be an Admiral Nurse and to help raise awareness of the vital work we do through events like this.

We will be supporting Dementia UK throughout the year and posting regular fundraising stories, led by our on-site Engagement Ambassadors at www.webhelp.com

To find out more about the valuable work of Dementia UK visit www.dementiauk.org

by Webhelp