The Human Factor In Branding
All brands have a human side and a business side, and you need both to have a successful company.
Yup. BOTH. The business side focuses on nailing your product or service and making it profitable. Here you can explore business models, processes, sales funnels, and all the things that make your money-making machine work and stay at work. 💸💸
But that’s not enough.
You still need to attract an audience so they invest in your amazing machine. That’s where brand creation comes in. A brand focuses on creating experiences for your ideal customer. You want to connect with them.
Make them fall in love with you and what your company stands for. In this way, you won’t only have a profitable business, but you will have created a community that keeps coming back to you while sharing the word about you!!!
So, if there is one thing I want you to remember it is the following…
Humans connect with humans. Humans fall in love with humans.
But how do we make our brands more human?
Let’s start by pulling some inspiration from brands that have done an excellent job of humanizing themselves and see if we are able to pick up some patterns. Shall we?
/ CASE STUDY: OATLY
“We would like to be crystal clear about one thing. We’re not a perfect company—not even close. However, our intentions are true.”
It doesn’t take long to see the humanity of this brand all over the place. From their website to their copy, to the imagery they pick, and the type of content they share, it is truly a unique experience. I feel like I could describe Oatly as my awkward, a little weird friend, who is into conspiracy theories, skateboarding, and dry humor. So, I would say, yes they are incredibly successful at making themselves feel like a person.
It is obvious that the weirdness of their copy is a differential, but it isn’t just that. The use of textures, hand-drawn illustrations, and typefaces, as well as the lack of structure on their homepage, makes them push that weirdness even further. What can we learn from them? Weird is not for everyone, but if it fits your brand, it can be a huge differential and a straight gateway to your kind of people’s hearts.
/ CASE STUDY: HIMS
“Believe the hype. We give healthcare a good name.”
We all know what healthcare lingo sounds like; boring, difficult to understand, and incredibly overwhelming. There is nothing modern about clinics’ websites, and getting an appointment can be the most frustrating thing about being sick. Hims & Hers is a telehealth brand with a mission to make the world feel great through the power of better health. Their approach is not just human, but the complete opposite of what we would expect from a doctor’s office.
The use of personal, direct, and even a tad funny copy, makes them feel like your buddy recommending the latest and coolest bar down the road. It makes healthcare talk approachable, not scary, and human above anything else.
IF YOU FOUND SOMETHING INSPIRING, INTRIGUING, OR ENCOURAGING IN THIS JOURNAL ENTRY—
I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW!
Send me a message in the DMs or contact me to inquire about working together. I can’t wait to keep the conversation going.
