Over the last year, voices in the world of branding have begun to talk about the ‘Human Era’. We decided to investigate, and noticed that some recent mark-making* client work bears characteristics of Human Era branding. Here are two short case studies examining brands that we have helped into the Human Era.
Saffron for Intermediaries
Saffron for Intermediaries is Saffron Building Society’s dedicated intermediary lending channel. Saffron for Intermediaries was launched with a new suite of products. They were specially designed for borrowers in situations that can be challenging when looking for a mortgage. Borrowers can be perfectly creditworthy, but certain circumstances can make it difficult to find a lender that can help.
We developed a launch campaign, to communicate the specialist nature of the products and build awareness. The campaign creative emphasised special circumstances, focussing on a range of people for whom a Saffron mortgage could be the answer.
The key Human Era element of the campaign was the treatment of the individuals as people with needs, rather than problematic borrowers who do not fit into a certain set of boxes.
View the full Saffron For Intermediaries image galleryin our Behance portfolio.
A-Plan insurance
A-Plan Insurance, as high street insurance brokers, are a rare breed. In this age of comparison websites and consumer legwork, discussing insurance with a broker face-to-face is almost unheard of. This really sets them apart. We created a campaign that focussed on the personal, human elements of the services they offer.
During a branch launch and across various projects for A-Plan, we made copy more personable, introducing colloquial phrases to encourage a feeling of dialogue. Most importantly, we featured individual branch managers from each location on every piece of marketing collateral.
Now, customers who go to A-Plan can quite literally put a face to the name of their branch managers.
View the full A-Plan Insurance image gallery in our Behance portfolio.
In the Human Era, this movement towards acting more like a person improves consumer trust. It encourages a feeling of dialogue, and there is a real sense of a two-way conversation. Involving consumers in conversation they enjoy can in turn encourage them to talk about their experiences elsewhere, with other people. This is the first step on the road towards a base of organically instated brand ambassadors: a huge Human Era achievement for any brand.