Consumers have moved beyond simply buying a product or service from a company. With declining trust in traditional institutions and a proliferation of media sources, they’re increasingly putting their trust in local organizations, businesses, and influencers — often forming an emotional connection. Skeptical of marketing hype and inauthentic corporate statements, they’re shopping for products and services from brands that align with their values.

The importance of human-centered, ethical, and high-quality marketing has never been more timely. Enter Meaningful Marketing: a philosophy and long-term approach to audience engagement that focuses on people and is built to earn the trust of the people whom organizations and businesses serve.

01:

Human-centered and empathetic

Meaningful marketing starts with the person, not the brand. With a human-centered approach, we recognize that “customers” and “target audiences” are people first and we must seek to deeply understand people’s needs so that marketing experiences reflect their reality. We learn about people’s motivations and priorities through active listening, which can come in the forms of direct feedback and reviews, rigorous data analysis, and testing. It also requires setting aside assumptions about what we think we know and being open to changing our perspective.

02:

Rooted in stories

Through stories we connect, share our values, entertain, educate, inspire, and experience the world. Marketing communications and content that are narrative-based connect us to one another and to our own humanity. Facts and figures don’t typically inspire people — stories do. Stories can be pragmatic or aspirational and come in a variety of formats and contexts, but they should always focus on how a product or service positively impacts someone’s life (rather than a product’s detailed specifications or the way organizations talk about their service offerings internally).

03:

Values details

There are countless interactions an organization may have with its customers, donors, volunteers, or constituents that add up to a positive or negative experience. Every touchpoint with someone is an opportunity to strengthen the relationship with them. This is true whether they are just beginning to learn about your organization or have been with you for years. Likewise, a single unsatisfactory experience with a brand can do significant harm. From how easy it is to find a customer service phone number on your website to how someone is treated at the point of sale, every interaction can build loyalty (or not).

04:

Endears trust

Meaningful marketing is built to earn and deepen trust with people. Organizations and companies that demonstrate a genuine commitment to improving lives today and for future generations, even in a modest way, have a strategic brand advantage over those that greenwash, values-wash, or otherwise lack transparency and authenticity in their communications. It’s so important for organizations to admit when they’re wrong and make every attempt to repair the relationship, as this will engender trust and ensure people want to do business with you — for life.

05:

Emphasizes the long game

Meaningful marketing emphasizes treating customers, communities, and the planet with respect. There’s no honor in short-term results at the expense of long-term gain, and developing relationships with customers does not happen overnight.  Marketers are under constant pressure and it can be tempting to focus solely on the “fast metrics” like response rates and lead forms. Long-term nurturing of relationships, such as respecting your customer’s time and intelligence (e.g., removing the barriers to valuable content or giving their inbox a rest), is an investment that will always pay off.

Marketers often have big goals and limited resources, so it’s understandable to question whether investing in meaningful marketing is a luxury we can’t afford. But the reality is that not investing is a risk we can’t afford. Transactions are fleeting and forgettable — relationships are not. How you approach your marketing at the most fundamental level directly impacts the bottom line. Meaningful marketing is not philosophical; it’s practical and essential to growing and protecting a business.

Still not convinced? Read our case studies to see the quantifiable brand and business results of a meaningful marketing approach here.