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Beyond Customer Centricity, Human Centricity
How Human-Centered Design Builds Deeper Connections and Drives Growth
Shailja
March 15, 2024
Gone are the days of generic marketing messages and a one-size-fits-all approach. Today's D2C leaders prioritize building genuine connections with their customers, understanding their needs, and exceeding their expectations. And here comes 2/4 of the series called The Customer Edge, and this is StartupStoic, a newsletter that assists you in learning better and strategizing your startup ideas. Feel free to share it with others.
Did you check Part 1 of The Customer Edge and how to create genuine customer relations?
The explosive growth of D2C brands often leaves us with the question of how to stand out in the saturated market.
One key that can open one of the doors of D2C popularity in the market is customer centricity. Whether fashion, beauty, food or fitness, every D2C brand needs to connect directly to the consumers. But what is the secret sauce behind some winning D2C ideas?
While "customer centricity" often gets thrown around, a deeper understanding of human-centred design (HCD) propels these D2C brands forward. Let's delve into the nuances of these approaches and see how leading Indian D2C companies are winning with a human touch.
Understanding the Difference: Human-Centered vs. Customer-Centered
Before we dive into the strategies employed by Indian D2C companies, let's distinguish between human-centred and customer-centred approaches.
Human-centred: This approach prioritizes understanding holistic needs, desires, and individual behaviours within a community. It aims to create products or services that resonate with human experiences and emotions, fostering deeper customer connections.
Customer-centred: On the other hand, a customer-centred approach focuses explicitly on meeting the needs and preferences of existing customers. It revolves around gathering feedback, analyzing data, and tailoring offerings to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Customer Centricity: Putting the Customer First (But Not Always the Whole Person)
Customer centricity is a business philosophy that prioritizes understanding customer needs and preferences. It's about tailoring products, services, and marketing efforts to deliver a superior customer experience. Here's how Indian D2C brands are excelling in this area:
Data-Driven Personalization: Nykaa, the beauty giant, leverages customer purchase history and browsing behaviour to recommend personalized products. This not only enhances the shopping experience but also increases customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Seamless Omnichannel Experience: Lenskart, the eyewear player, provides a seamless experience across online and offline channels. Customers can try on glasses virtually, book eye tests at home, and pick up their purchases at a physical store.
Community Building: Mamaearth, the natural personal care brand, fosters a strong online community where customers can share experiences, ask questions, and connect with the brand.
These D2C companies leverage customer data to anticipate needs, personalize offerings, and create a frictionless journey. However, customer-centricity primarily focuses on the transactional aspect of the relationship.
Human-Centered Design: Understanding the Whole Human
Human-centered design (HCD) goes beyond just the customer. It's a design methodology that puts the whole human at the core, encompassing their needs, desires, emotions, and behaviours within the context of their lives. Here's how HCD fosters deeper connections with consumers:
Empathy Research: Bombay Hemp Company, a sustainable clothing brand, conducts extensive user research to understand customer frustrations with traditional fast fashion. This allows them to create comfortable, eco-friendly clothing that resonates with customers' values.
Intuitive User Interfaces: Pepperfry, the furniture e-commerce platform, uses intuitive design principles to make online furniture shopping easy. 3D visualization tools and augmented reality features help customers visualize furniture in their homes, leading to higher conversion rates.
Addressing Emotional Needs: The Good Glamm Group, a content-to-commerce platform, caters not just to beauty needs but also to the desire for self-expression and community. Their influencer-driven approach and interactive content create an engaging experience that goes beyond simply selling products.
HCD focuses on creating solutions that address both functional and emotional needs. This fosters deeper brand connections, loyalty, and advocacy.
Why HCD is the Winning Formula for D2C Brands in India
The Indian consumer is evolving rapidly. They are tech-savvy and value-conscious, and expect brands to understand them as individuals. HCD allows D2C brands to:
Go Beyond Demographics: HCD delves deeper than just demographics. It uncovers the "why" behind customer behaviour, leading to solutions that resonate on a personal level.
Build Emotional Connections: By understanding customer values, desires, and frustrations HCD helps brands create emotional connections that build loyalty and advocacy.
Anticipate Future Needs: HCD is an iterative process that allows for continuous improvement based on user feedback. This future-proofing helps brands stay relevant in a dynamic market.
Examples of HCD in Action:
Sanfe, a menstrual hygiene brand, uses HCD to design comfortable, leak-proof sanitary pads based on in-depth user research. This addresses a previously unmet need and breaks down social stigmas associated with menstruation.
D2C brands can't just rely on customer data alone to win in the long run. HCD's focus on creating human-centred solutions fosters trust, loyalty, and advocacy.
By understanding the whole person, not just the customer, D2C brands can build lasting connections and achieve sustainable growth in the dynamic market.