Social empathy deserves an Oscar

At the risk of being accused of being a dinosaur I have been trying extra hard to read and reflect on all things social media. I have paid more than a passing interest in every article I can find as I struggle to stay relevant in a digitally vibrant world

The disparaging halfjoking commentary of a household of teenagers does nothing for the self confidence of the silver haired 50-year-old marketer. It does serve to accelerate an inner thirst for understanding the digital media revolution.

Reading about how social behaviour is influenced by the value placed on social media, serve to explain, confuse then explain again. There does not seem to be any defining rules of engagement. Everybody has an opinion, born usually from a hunch or a casual observation.

Completely independently, I have been doing a bit of training on issues relating to empathy and I could not help make the connection between the value of emotional intelligence and world of social and digital.

I remember working in Abu Dhabi, when an internal story unfolded about a little girl who lost her teddy on the first day of the holiday. The teddy “Oscar,” was found reasonably quickly but the hotel team had the idea of building a scrap book to showcase the adventures of the teddy. Quickly the whole Rooms Division got in on the act. Oscar was photographed by the pool enjoying a beverage and relaxing in the spa with cucumber slices on his eye. The result- ing scrapbook was filled with well-crafted and scripted photographs and notes of the experience of Oscar.

The impact of the team’s efforts was that the little girl and her parents were thrilled with the level of hotel en- gagement. Giving the teddy bear back to the girl would have been enough, but the memory of the “Holiday” that Oscar enjoyed at the hotel will last for a very long time. There was a clear emotional connection between the family and the team. The empathy was heartfelt.

The social media that followed was genuine and powerful. It was never planned but just happened. It is easy to overstate and complicate the digital strategy in 2016, but the real truth comes from the simplicity of the messaging. Taking Oscar to the Spa was compelling because of the authenticity of the good will. It was all about the customer.

Telling a colourful story that has shades of vulnerability and has a hint of humility and a spark of humour has a significantly higher level of personal connection than corporate snap shots of price point and the push towards a “sell” moment.

The learning from Oscar’s ordeal is that we should shine a bright light on every social media story.

Telling a colourful story that has shades of vulnerability and has a hint of humility and a spark of humour has a significantly higher level of personal connection than corporate snap shots of price point and the push towards a “sell” moment