You Can’t Afford Tone-Deaf Marketing
The world is changing, and oh so quickly.
Earthshaking, society-altering change is happening all around, at what feels like non-stop, break-neck speed. It's the kind that I both feel and fear is long overdue.
What does that have to do with marketing?
Well, marketing is amplification.
It cannot create demand for something people don't want.
It cannot fix a tone-deaf message or a pricing model that doesn't reflect value.
Real, intrinsic value.
What is tone-deaf marketing?
Tone-deaf marketing is disingenuous.
It's more about you than the people you're talking to. It doesn't reflect an empathetic understanding of the customer's culture, their beliefs, their everyday realities.
It's cringe, as the kids these days say—like being on a bad first date where the other person only talks about themselves.
It often includes "I" or "our" statements.
These days, what you say about your own brand has little impact on building trust with consumers—even less so by people who are paid by the brand to post about it.
81% of consumers worldwide look for brands that reflect their identities: Brands who champion their values and beliefs; reflect their culture and background; and address societal problems that are important.
Easier said than done, right?
So how do you craft messaging that feels genuine (and on-brand) amid our modern-day geopolitical shitshow?
Don't ignore the elephants.
Financial distress is the new norm. It is what it is.
In 2025, 68% of GenZ (and 58% of Millennials) globally reported experiencing financial hardships in the last year. People are paying bills late, accumulating credit card debt, skipping meals, being priced out of their homes, losing their jobs, healthcare and income.
Buying your product probably isn't top-of-mind. I know that's harsh. But everyone struggles.
We're in this together.
Skip the small talk.
Surface-level conversations create surface level relationships. The same is true for the brand/consumer relationships.
The social media equivalent of this is posting just for the sake of posting. Hopping on trends to try to go viral or game the algorithm for views.
Contribute (in a way that isn't transactional).
People don't want one-off messages about your product or promotion. They want a relationship with you. They crave connection from brands that are personally meaningful.
A brand that isn't tone-deaf demonstrates care for the well-being of their customers.
Read the room.
We all share a tricky history. Humans are vulnerable, helpless, and insignificant creatures, we tend to overcompensate for this when all we really crave is connection and belonging.
To deny this fact is a huge miss.
Especially for brands.
What's going on in your consumers' world today?
Are you connecting and engaging with consumers in a way that feels meaningfully and personal to them? Can they share their pain points? Are they being heard?
