Marketing often relies on a lot of "tricks" to reach people in this noisy world. But we have an opportunity to be more intentional and responsible in our marketing  - and when we do, that leads to increased customer engagement, loyalty, and yes, profit.

Today, I talk with Kat Kennan about trauma-informed marketing and how we can rethink the way we promote our offerings. We talk about what trauma-informed marketing means, why brands need to pay attention, how to avoid cancel culture, and how to rethink old marketing models and get away from fear-based messaging. We discuss how trauma can show up for your customers, where you can take a pause and adapt, and some great tips on easy ways to start infusing more empathy into your marketing to boost your customer's perception of your brand. 

To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com 

Key Takeaways:

• Fear-based marketing techniques are going to continue to get diminishing returns. As businesses, we need to move beyond personas and really connect with our customers. 
• Over 70% of people have experienced at least one major traumatic event in their lives. In thinking about the pandemic, we are now looking at 100%. 
• Empathy is a bottom-line issue. 97% of customers say that empathy is important to their customer loyalty.
•  You need to have a pretty nimble and agile group of decision-makers that can adapt and adjust campaigns on the fly based on real-time events.

"It's encouraging marketers to just take a pause before they send something out to think about how it might feel or how it might read." —  Kat Kennan

Episode References: 

• The Cancel Culture Checklist: Go to Kat's website radicalcustomerexperience.com & use code MARIA30 to enjoy 30% off the 1st 3 months. Check the website for all details.
• The Empathy Edge episodes:
• Charna Cassel: Recognizing Trauma at Work - Yours and Others
• Melina Palmer: Why Your Customers Can't Tell You What They Want
• Brigette Iarusso Disrupting Toxic Business Models in the Online Space
• Lindsay LaShell: A Marketing Activist Blends Purpose & Profit
• Uncommon Goods
• Oreo's responsive Super Bowl campaign

Brand Story Breakthrough course to help you craft a clear, compelling brand story  - includes weekly office hours with Maria!

About Kat Kennan:

Kat Kennan is the Founder and CEO of Radical Customer Experience™️, a groundbreaking consulting firm that encourages brands to establish genuine connections with their customers by embracing strengths-based, trauma-informed, and inclusive marketing services. With a passion for empowering individuals and driving positive change, her mission is to help brands speak up, speak out, and foster diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in their customer interactions. As a certified trauma-informed professional, Kat brings a crucial perspective to her work, infusing every aspect of her business ventures with a deep understanding of the human experience.

Kat’s unwavering commitment to creating a more inclusive and empathic world have earned her recognition and respect within the marketing and trauma-informed community. She is leading the charge in revolutionizing the way businesses interact with their customers, leaving a profound impact on the industry and society as a whole.

Connect with Kat:  

Radical Customer Experience: radicalcustomerexperience.com 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katkennan 

Facebook: facebook.com/rcxconsulting 

Instagram: instagram.com/katkennan 

Join the tribe, download your free guide! Discover what empathy can do for you: red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathy

Connect with Maria: 

Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com

Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com

Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross

Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy

LinkedIn: Maria Ross

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