Design thinking is a human-centric approach to marketing that uses empathy to pinpoint and solve customer problems. Notably, 50% of businesses that use design thinking report greater customer satisfaction and loyalty, whereas 71% say it even improves team culture. Through design thinking, your team works to understand customers on a deeper level and brainstorms solutions to their pain points. You then develop an innovative prototype idea, which can then be tested to see what works and what doesn’t. By the end of this process, you’ll have developed a campaign that stands out against the noise and truly fulfills customer needs.
Understand customer problems with empathy mapping
75% of American shoppers say they’re more loyal to brands that understand them on a personal level. So, the first step in design thinking involves stepping into your customers’ shoes to understand what they feel, think, say, and do. In particular, empathy mapping is a useful technique used to reveal customer pain points, so you can then solve them. To create an empathy map, first consider what your customer “thinks and feels” — what do they care about most? What are their biggest worries? Then, consider what they “hear”. What media do they consume? Who influences them? Also, think about what customers “see”. What influences them in their immediate environment?
As for “say” and “do”, think about what your customer says about their problems/needs, and what they do in relation. Back up your answers with data (like customer surveys) where possible, rather than rely on assumptions. You may ultimately realize your customer’s problems are different to what you initially thought. That’s okay. You now better understand your audience and can solve their problems more efficiently.
For example, when Oral-B wanted to update their toothbrushes with the ability to monitor brushing habits, they enlisted designers to help. However, the designers found customers preferred simplicity and this new capability would be stressful rather than helpful. Instead, the designers improved the toothbrush with better charging capabilities. As this feature is functional, not flashy, and responded to customer needs, it was rolled-out with success.
Brainstorm creative solutions
Once you’ve identified your customer’s problems, your team then comes up with potential solutions, so give them the space and freedom they need to brainstorm. Avoid micromanaging the process as this quickly kills creativity. It’s also useful to let your team know there’s no such thing as a bad idea at this point. Encourage them to throw out any and all ideas, even crazy ones. A free flow of potential solutions that address the problem from various angles increases the odds of striking gold.
Also, consistent branding is a strategic necessity that shouldn't be neglected as studies show that customers are 3 to 4 times more likely to notice and remember a brand that maintains visual and messaging consistency across all touchpoints. What’s also noteworthy is that this recognition is a powerful tool that builds trust, reinforces your identity, and makes your brand the first choice when customers are ready to make a decision. In other words, when you have cohesion across all channels and marketing efforts, you're creating awareness and cementing your brand in the minds of your audience, which leads to deeper loyalty and higher conversion rates.
Create a prototype — and test it
Once you’ve selected the best solution, your team can then develop a prototype — whether that's a social media ad, newsletter, slogan, or landing page, for example. This is an iterative process, and you may need to go back and do further research to craft a prototype that really fits customer needs. Next, test the prototype to see how it performs with your target customer. Focus groups and surveys can help reveal what does and doesn’t work. You may even realize you haven’t honed in on the right problem. In this case, you’ll begin the process again, and can incorporate lessons learned into your next potential solution.
Design thinking is a powerful tool that can create human-centric marketing strategies. When you develop an empathetic understanding of your customers, you’ll find it easier to develop creative solutions that really fulfill their needs.
Nina S. Blake is a writer with a research journalism background, who is always eager to explore new niches and tackle diverse subjects.
