“Care”: The Key To Customer

Engagement In The Age of “NOW”

What The Customerʼs Psychology Means For Brands

Tom Guarriello, Ph.D.TrueTalk Consulting, Inc. &

School of Visual Arts, Masterʼs In Branding

fashion is the new

black

1955 2011

everybodycaresabout

“fashion”

1,000,000,000,0002011 online brand

mentions:people,

and things,

Icare about

tavi gervison: 15 year-old

fashion-obsessed feminist

“style rookie”

“claire” age unknown

on london street via

sartorialist.com

angela, “turning 50”

aka “Trendy in New

Mexico”

things they care about

Care: to be concerned about;

have regard for; hold dear

psychological alchemy

that transforms “things”

into “valuables”

Why do we care about

things?

physiological

safety

love & belonging

self-esteem

self-actualization

Maslowʼs hierarchy of needs

“social needs”

wired to

care and connect

brain: emotion before logic

So what?

So....you are in the

“care business”

What should I do?

1.pay care-ful attention:

look,listen,

appreciate,imagine

“I understand you...”

2.engage care-fully:

“attract and hold fast”interact emotionally

“I feel with you...”

SixEmotions

fearUnderstanding Comics,

Scott McCloud

anger

disgust

sadness

surprise

joy

joy

positive

surprise

neutral

fear anger disgust

negative

sadness

joy

we arewired to mirror

emotions

joy

+

surprise

delight or relief

joy

+

pride

anger

joy

+

hope

fear

3.help caring-ly:

how can we make the customerʼs life better?

“I want to help you...”

The Question:“What would I say or

do right now if I really cared

about this person?”

The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer

somebody else up.

Mark Twain

“I want to help you...”

“I feel with you...”

“I understand you...”

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a

faithful servant. We have created a society

that honors the servant and has

forgotten the gift.”

“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that

counts can be counted.”

Einstein on ROI