Mission-Driven Brands Thrive on Empathy

Brian Sooy • Jan 28, 2017

Mission-driven companies nurture a culture of communication when they practice empathy as the secret to be engaging—listening more often than  they speaks to understand the needs of its customers and the community.

An engaging brand empathizes.

When was the last time you asked your audience:

  • “What do you expect of us?”
  • “What is your experience with us like?”
  • “Why do you believe in our brand?”

Being engaging isn’t always about sharing the great things your business is doing or what your brand stands for.

You need to ask your audience what they think in to find the points of interest where they want to have a conversation with your brand and how they want to be engaged.

Think about every possible touch point between your company and its customers. If everything your company says and does is part of your story and impacts audience perception (i.e., your brand — what others think about your organization), what should you do to improve each point of interaction?

A Different Perspective on Audience Engagement

I spent a couple of minutes on an organization’s website recently, trying to find the times for their weekly gatherings. Their home page featured a large button reading, “I’m New Here,” and as a first-time visitor, I clicked it.

The only problem is that I didn’t find what I was looking for. I found a lot of information about what to expect on my first visit, how long the meeting would be, what a great experience it would be, and more.

The only thing the page didn’t tell me what time I should be there to share this experience.

Eventually, I found what I was looking for, quietly hiding under a subhead on the home page, and again at the very bottom.

It wasn’t a well-designed first visitor experience. When I shared my experience with the organization, they welcomed the feedback and made changes to ensure other visitors had a better experience than I did.

Rather than waiting for a guest to bring up a design oversight, ask your audience for feedback, and with that information advise your staff on how they think your business can do a better job of communicating.

One simple way to gain insight is to conduct a survey and ask your stakeholders or customers what they think you’re doing well, and what you could do better.

Better yet, have a one-to-one conversation with a customer, and learn their perspective on your company: who you are, what you do, why they think your brand matters, and how you’ve helped them solve their problems.

Odds are what motivates them also motivates others, and their perspective will help you create a brand story that reaches more people with design and experiences that foster trust, affinity, and loyalty.


Join the movement of business leaders who inspire people to buy their products through words that sell.

Grow Your Brand with Clear Messaging

Listen First—Act and Respond Second

Listening carefully to stakeholders enables you to influence the way individuals perceive your cause or company, and how they interact with it.

Empathy in marketing gives your audience reasons to engage with your brand and believe in your company. When you empathize with the experience of those you serve, your products and services can be more meaningful to those for whom it matters most.

What must you do to be engaging?

Listen as often as you speak, to hear what the community is saying.


Do you have a hard time explaining what your company does or why your brand matters to people?

If you struggle to grow your business, you’re not alone. Aespire can help you create a clear message and brand that helps you grow your business. Contact us today for a consultation with a StoryBrand Certified Marketing Guide.


Get a Free Comprehensive Marketing Assessment

Take the Free Assessment

Stop hoping your marketing will sort itself out.

  1. Complete this free assessment in 15 minutes.
  2. Review your custom report (and schedule a 30-minute review) to diagnose what’s happening.
  3. Create an action plan to get your marketing back on track.
A laptop is open to a map of the united states
24 Mar, 2024
Why do you need a cookie consent popup, a privacy policy, and an accessibility widget on your website? It’s simple. Protect your visitors’ privacy and your business.
a flyer that says
By Brian Sooy 14 Mar, 2024
The publisher challenged me to take content marketing to a new level, with timeless content for intelligent readers published in book form
shift book design by Aespire for Sean Doyle
By Brian Sooy 11 Jan, 2024
Many experts and advisors need a guide to help them turn their publishing ideas into a profitable business asset. Aespire collaborates with business authors and publishers to design, produce, and promote books that position them as experts, expand their influence, and help them grow their brands.
Show More
Share by: