The world is craving real, human connections

It was no surprise that the 2023 word of the year was authentic. In the digital space, we’re well into an era where the main goal is to satisfy the large search engines and algorithms. Across all of the social platforms, getting the most likes for a post and increasing followers is the primary measure of success. In order to achieve this, formulas are followed, content is repeated, influencers and AI are being employed, and eventually everything is the same (check out the book Filterworld for an interesting read on how algorithms flattened culture).

Thing is, customers are getting wise and can see when the game is being played and when a brand is being real.

Playing to rank higher for searches and click throughs or to get that viral post may work in the short term. Using AI to generate content gets it done faster, but can lack originality or new ideas. It’s like watching one person work a room to say hi to the most people, not really caring about what the other people are saying back.

If you want to truly connect with your customers, design for real, human connections.

So what does that look like? It’s more conversational. It’s more listening. It’s more personality. It’s more creative. It’s building long-lasting relationships, adding value, and being mindful of how cherished our own time is.

Brands that rethink their strategies to be more genuine are going to see higher brand loyalty in the long run.