“Empathy” marketing is all the rage now.

or so it seems…

Back in 1977, when the Apple Company was taking shape (and by Apple Company, I mean the two “Steves” and investor Mike Markkula); they defined their guiding principles and values as the following:

Point 1: EMPATHY

Apple should strive for an “intimate” connection with customers’ feelings. “We will truly understand their needs better than any other company.”

Point 2: FOCUS

To be successful, Apple should center its efforts on accomplishing its main goals, and eliminate all the “unimportant opportunities.”

Point 3: IMPUTE

Apple should be constantly aware that companies and their products will be judged by the signals they convey. “People DO judge a book by its cover,” Mike Markkula wrote. “We may have the best product, the highest quality, the most useful software etc.; if we present them in a slipshod manner, they will be perceived as slipshod; if we present them in a creative, professional manner, we will impute the desired qualities.”

Notice what the first guiding value was…empathy. More than 30 years ago, these gentlemen recognized the need to understand the customers’ feelings and being able to meet their needs.

So what exactly is Empathy?

the ability to understand and share the feelings of another

Being able to articulate that you ‘get’ your Tribe is one of the most important pieces of your unique Brand Code.

This isn’t about pressing on pain points until the blood comes gushing out, but rather creating the connection and telling the story of the relationship between you and your right people.

I get you

Creating the connection looks like:

Understanding and communicating that you know how people feel

Understanding and communicating that you know how people feel about you + what you offer

This is what differentiates your brand from everyone else

This shows why people should choose you as the only solution to their problem

Doing the simple things extraordinarily well is what will set you apart from everyone else and create a brand that imprints, influences, and impacts.

Think about how your tribe feels and then how they will feel after you have helped them.