Getting personal with your prospects, customers, and employees
EDITOR'S NOTE
Whether you spend your days wading through code or managing shareholders, the work we all do ultimately comes down to impacting people. This is pretty obvious for those of us in marketing and comms-related roles constantly looking for new and better ways to understand and reach our audiences. A lot of attention has been paid in the past decade or two to the multiplying channels that have made reach a more complex endeavor. Amidst growing data-privacy concerns coupled with scrutiny over ROI and efficacy, we've recently seen a sizable shift to prioritizing quality above quantity, which has brought a new focus to truly understanding our readers, prospects, and customers. Gartner predicts that by 2022, 25% of marketing departments will have a dedicated behavioral scientist or ethnographer as part of their full-time staff.
It's not just marketers who should strive for a deeper understanding of potential and existing customers. Every employee benefits from a more personal experience of the contexts, needs, and preferences of those who use the products and services their organization offers – especially those involved in designing those products, who are often surprisingly removed from end-users.
A better understanding of the values and behaviors of employees has also risen up the agenda. Organizations like MindGym apply psychology to help businesses transform performance, while the likes of Perkbox and Mintago have emerged to improve how businesses cater to the needs of employees beyond providing a salary. These types of organizations have been welcomed with open arms as the fight to attract and retain talent grows ever more intense.
In this issue of The Splash we take a look at different ways in which businesses and marketers can succeed by getting personal with the people they want to engage. ◆
Dani Mansfield,Editor, The Splash
WHAT'S IN THIS ISSUE →
Making tech for all people matters for reasons beyond social conscientiousness
For brands to build relationships with people they need to have conversations – as and when the customer wants them
Culture, wellbeing, and psychological safety in the workplace
Digital marketers are mourning the death of the cookie. The picture isn't quite so simple – or so bleak
When targeting cultures they're unfamiliar with, brands need to act responsibly - or risk it all.
What it means to build an actual human tone of voice and identity for your brand
is produced by Turtl
Editor Dani MansfieldAssistant Editor Kit McKayArt Director Alistair MacRobertDesigner Clara LopezHead of Marketing Karla RivershawSocial & PR Zoe ChineryContributors: Mark Kilens, Matt Garisch, Chieu Cao, Kit McKay, Natasha Keary, Lucy Spencer
