In your misspent youth, you may have had a friend/cousin/old college roommate who was the theatre. If so, chances are you’ve heard of a technique called method acting. If you haven’t, it’s a training practice in which an actor emotionally identifies and sincerely connects with a character on a deep and profound level (think De Niro in Taxi Driver or literally any Daniel Day Lewis performance).

In your misspent youth, you may have had a friend/cousin/old college roommate who was the theatre. If so, chances are you’ve heard of a technique called method acting. If you haven’t, it’s a training practice in which an actor emotionally identifies and sincerely connects with a character on a deep and profound level (think De Niro in Taxi Driver or literally any Daniel Day Lewis performance). Many actors will even wholly assume the identity of their character during the course of a performance, hoping to blur the line between where they end and their character begins, and achieve true authenticity. 

Putting yourself in the seat of your customer to understand the context in which they will use your product or service - that is, their motivations; their circumstances; their aspirations - is critical to connecting with them, and in turn, they with your brand. In other words, just as an actor might become their character, you must become your customer to really learn who they are and how they live their lives. By understanding what they actually value - not just what they’ll buy - their perception of you will be that of a brand who not only “gets them”, but one who isn’t just trying to sell them something. 

Speaking of college, a professor of mine once said that the worst question a brand can answer is one no one is asking. Your brand should fill a need - or better yet, anticipate the needs of your customer. We call this innovation work. Future proofing your brand or innovating based on what is relevant to your customer today, and tomorrow. Validate them and their lives, and enhance their own “personal brand” through their association with you, and you’ll earn their loyalty and fierce devotion. We talk a lot about customer obsession, but it starts with understanding. Who they are, what they want from you, what they would change or add if they could, and how they need to be met time and time again. For us, understanding is the first step of empathy - right after “hello”. 

What Do We Do With This? 🤔💭

1. Become your customer. Talk to friends, neighbors, and family members about what they want from your brand, and why and how they interact with it at all levels.

2. Read the complaints - they'll give you valuable information about what problems your customers are facing and how you can solve future problems.

3. Take a method acting class. You'll learn tools and tricks to further understand your customer. If nothing else, you'll have a fun evening

👋 Join the conversation on Twitter / on Instagram :)