Jeff Maggs is Managing Partner/Atlanta at Brunner, an independent integrated marketing agency.
Having spent decades in marketing, I’ve witnessed the evolution and increased reliance on data-driven strategies. Today, data is a huge part of what makes marketers successful, and it is essential for optimizing campaigns and driving performance.
But there is one powerful element that can’t be replaced with data: Heartfelt, genuine human connection.
Purpose In Branding
Sprout Social recently revealed that about 70% of “consumers believe it’s important for brands to take a public stand on social and political issues.” I agree and believe a strong brand needs to have a purpose—a way to humanize their company. It’s not about old school versus new school. It’s about finding a sweet spot where both elements of data and heart coexist and complement each other. It’s about understanding desires and motivations while optimizing results.
I find that a good balance helps connect a brand’s message on a deeper level, creating campaigns that resonate with customers. Whether it’s an ad that captivates with a single image or a social post that emboldens a person to take action, emotionally impactful advertising is what truly makes that authentic connection with an audience.
How Analytics Help
Analytics revolutionized marketing by transforming decision-making. We could suddenly analyze customer engagement, purchase patterns and behaviors across channels, as well as at every stage of the consumer’s journey.
With this data, marketers were better equipped to craft relevant, high-converting campaigns. Now, with predictive analytics and AI, we can even forecast future customer behaviors, enabling proactive marketing strategies. We are moving from responding to customers to anticipating behaviors.
How Heart Helps
But getting a lot of eyeballs or reaching customers early doesn’t guarantee resonance. Data is powerful, but it is the caring, empathetic narratives that truly connect brands with consumers’ hearts. With the power of creativity, you build unique, impactful experiences that resonate emotionally with audiences.
The Integration Of Data And Heart
This is where purpose-driven marketing is essential. It emphasizes a brand’s core values, revealing how they impact and support customers. In the end, there needs to be a reason for customers to believe—a heartfelt connection between the company and the customer.
By infusing purpose into messaging, storytelling and creative work, you can build trust and genuine connections. Then, data can help ensure your heartfelt message reaches the right people at the right time.
Create Authentic Experiences
Instead of blasting ads across every channel and every audience, you can leverage data to create personalized content based on audience preferences, preferred channels and their stage in the buying process.
As a part of this, collecting data through research is crucial for developing compelling narratives. You can combine demographic data and behavioral insights to understand motivations and pain points. Overall, tailoring messages and experiences to individual needs makes customers feel valued and understood.
Platforms that help our teams collect data, like Resonate, Muck Rack and even simple Google searches, are key for audience insights. Digging through this data helps craft better narratives and more profound messages.
It’s important to recognize that behind every piece of data is a human with emotions and passions. It’s about bringing ideas to life with empathy and a provocative edge. It’s about connecting with your audience and positively impacting their lives.
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