DIGS is the premiere luxury real estate lifestyle magazine serving the most affluent neighborhoods in the South Bay and Westside of Los Angeles, California.
Issue link: https://www.southbaydiggs.com/i/1252368
24 DIGS.NET | 5.29.2020 They say what they think you want to hear and don't show respect for your intelligence. It's easy to see who the offenders are if you really pay attention. Empathy is different than sympathy – it's hard to fake. Empathy is the root of everything. If you prac- tice empathy, it will open your mind in ways never imagined. Seek to understand first and then you'll truly understand how you can "be of service." That's where the real value is created. "Seek first to understand, then to be understood." -Steven Covey Who Are You? In life, as in marketing, this is an all-important question. Authenticity is the real deal in marketing. Imag- ine the concept, "it pays to just be yourself!" And "who you are is who you will appeal to." It's a simple yet powerful "law of attraction." In an imperfect world, imperfections are a thing of beauty. It's time to embrace imperfections – after all, they're what make us unique and human. Think of your imperfections as your authenticity. The real you. We can't be everything to everyone – so let's just be us. That's perfect. For brands, imperfections are powerful too. In the business world, they differen- tiate us – reveal our raw inner soul, connect us to our purpose, and make us remarkable. Imperfections build trust. And trust is the ultimate gatekeeper, it's where "yes" resides. Without it, you don't get through the consumer's gate. Imperfections build trust because they are real. Be transparent, don't try and mask your imperfections – own them instead. And Imperfection doesn't scale. And that is a good thing. Brands are not perfect – so don't act and pretend that yours is either. Perfect doesn't exist. Masking Reality In life, we all wear virtual masks. Masks designed to create an illusion of perfection. Masks that hide our imperfections and give us a false sense of self. Brands do this too. THE IMPER FECT BR A ND P U B L I S H E R ' S M U S E This is where a lot of brands go astray – they project the ideal version of themselves instead of just being transparent. Better to start from a place of introspection to help you better understand what you stand for and why you exist. The more you can tap into your raw self, your defining principles, and your unique characteristics – the more the world will engage with and pay attention to you. Attention and engagement are the foundational pillars found in successful marketing. As Seth Godin likes to say "People like us do things like this. There is no more powerful tribal marketing connection than this." The New Normal Webster's dictionary defines normal like this: :: conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern; occurring naturally What exactly is a "new normal? Let's declare that "normal" is the "new normal." That imperfections, authenticity and empathy should occur naturally. On second thought maybe that would be a "new normal." Until next time ~ Warren J Dow Publisher wdow@Southbaydigs.com 310.373.0142