The Art Of Generosity: Why Brands Thrive By Giving, Not Taking

Can generosity fight marketing’s digital fatigue problem? Michael Bartley, Executive Creative Director at Indigo Slate, a Zensar company, explores the underlying power of valuable, entertaining and informative content in a world actively shunning traditional, short-term marketing methods.

“Content marketing is the only marketing left”. Seth Godin’s words – still doing the rounds in marketing circles to this day – spoke of the growing wariness of customers towards traditional advertising. Though said a good 15 years ago, this statement rings as true today as it did back then – perhaps even more so.

2023’s digital landscape has become utterly saturated by brands vying for attention. Incessant sales-led “Look at my features!” “Buy Me Now!” messages are seeing digital fatigue dig its claws into today’s average consumer. And, because we have much more control over the content we consume and how we interact with brands – we can skip advertisements, use ad-blockers, and seek out information on our terms – traditional marketing methods have simply become less effective, and sometimes even intrusive.

It’s not just traditional methods turning people off either – clickbait headlines, auto-play video ads, even unsolicited DMs on social media are all creating a negative user experience, leading to a decrease in brand trust and loyalty.

The essence of creating campaigns that tackle digital fatigue lies in taking a generous and community-focused approach. By providing compelling and differentiated content, brands can forge connections with customers who are more receptive to listening, engaging, and even recommending their offerings.

Why brands are failing to be generous

So why are so many brands still failing to demonstrate generosity and empathy in their marketing efforts?

Alongside the obvious economic, shareholder and investor pressures, generosity may be missing simply because the customer-centric mindset is missing. So many are in somewhat of a ‘sales cocoon’, becoming overly engrossed in pushing their product features, losing sight of their customers’ needs and preferences. But, failing to empathise genuinely with their audience only results in marketing efforts that feel detached and self-serving. True generosity is about consistently providing value and solutions to customers – without the immediate expectations of reciprocity that often come with the occasional giveaway, discount or promotion. While short-term marketing methods such as these are crucial – there is a balance to be had – those with a tunnel-vision approach to marketing will only hamper their capacity to build lasting relationships with customers, and will ultimately struggle to stand out and stay afloat in the long-term.

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Marketing as entertainment: Why generosity works

At times, generosity can manifest simply by making someone laugh or sharing a captivating story. And what truly captivates and entertains are experiences that honour, delve into, and support the individuals and subjects close to your brand’s heart. This could be in the form of humour or in the thoughtfulness of a documentary film, for example.

Some of the very best examples of marketing campaigns are the ones that have strived to be generous, whether that’s by being useful, relatable, or entertaining. Take the Cloud Cultures episodic series we are doing for Microsoft at the moment, for example. We’ve launched three episodes so far, each exploring what sets each country apart in terms of how they integrate their cultural elements into technology and innovation. This approach aligns with Microsoft’s branding as a tech innovator with a global perspective and not only leverages the power of storytelling, but, by releasing episodes, it creates anticipation and encourages viewers to return for more content. The result? Loyalty.

It also taps into the growing interest in global diversity and how it influences technological advancements, which educates the audience while also sparking curiosity and encouraging discussions.

Canon’s Stories in Motion competition – an annual short film competition aimed at young content creators, filmmakers, and cinematographers –  is another great example. It serves as a platform for aspiring filmmakers to showcase their skills using Canon cameras. By fostering creativity and storytelling through the competition, Canon is able to connect with its target demographic, build a community of passionate filmmakers and content creators and position itself as a brand that supports and empowers young talent in the world of filmmaking.

Winning entries and exceptional submissions have historically featured on Canon’s website, social media channels, and promotional materials. This not only provides an opportunity for young talent to gain exposure, recognition, and valuable experience in the filmmaking industry, but further showcases the capabilities of Canon cameras to a broader audience. It’s a win-win.

With truly creative content marketing like this, the customer engages, you build trust, and when they are in the market for your product or service, they think of you first. It’s a powerful brand loyalty that also often extends into recommendations.

Why marketing shouldn’t sell, it should inform

Informative content can be equally effective in opening doors to otherwise closed-off customers. When Microsoft launched Azure, its cloud computing platform, for example, it took this exact approach in order to engage with its audience and promote the product. Instead of solely pushing product features and technical specifications – as would be typically expected from the bigger tech players – Microsoft introduced the “Microsoft Cloud Skills Challenge”.

Designed to celebrate individual learning achievements while fostering a sense of community building among participants, the 30-day learning challenge allowed individuals to explore and acquire new skills related to Microsoft Azure for free. Establishing a positive and supportive environment for individuals interested in cloud computing, the challenge provided participants with various learning resources, including tutorials, documentation, and hands-on labs; there were even badges rewarded for progressing through the challenge.

The focus was the growth of the individual, the value in building their career, versus a feature set.

The initiative not only promoted a growth mindset, encouraging participants to step out of their comfort zones and embrace new challenges but also encouraged community engagement and collaboration. Participants had the opportunity to connect with fellow learners, share experiences, and seek help or guidance from others, all of which helped solidify Microsoft’s position as a supportive and inclusive technology provider.

Shifting the marketing strategy approach

The progression of the digital age has brought with it so much opportunity – increased global reach, targeted demographic marketing, the ability to personalise experiences, enhanced data-driven insights, real-time feedback, and room for innovation and disruption – but it’s also led to information overload, a sense of isolation and disconnection from real-life and a need to disconnect and recharge.

In fact, following record-breaking levels in 2021, consumer adoption of smartphones, laptops, tablets and smart TVs has decelerated in the past year, with a large proportion of smartphone users (42%) expressing regret about the amount of time spent on devices (Deloitte’s Digital Consumer Trends survey).

With consumers setting boundaries for screen time, taking regular breaks from digital devices, and seeking out valuable, rewarding or educational activities, it’s time for more brands to take note. Yes, leverage digital technologies, but make that shift in your marketing strategy from a mere product-focused approach to a more human-centric and community-oriented approach. Only then can you hope to stay relevant, competitive, and successful well into the future of this ever-evolving digital landscape.

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