Consumers are weary of 'We're Here for You' messaging. What now?

"Some brands went offline completely, many posted perfunctory service messages. Campaigns were paused and product promotion felt inappropriate. But then a 'new normal' emerged. One where brands knew their place in this weird new world. "We're here for you" was the mantra from every single brand, from the large to the small. Organically, and somewhat suddenly, that was the single-line rulebook from which we were all playing."

"But things change fast. The certainty we craved inevitably started to unravel, and if any situation calls for the constant monitoring of consumer attitudes through social listening, this is it. Even by mid-March, we were seeing conversation online with negative sentiments around the over-use of reassuring emails, and insincerely empathetic social posts with the "we're here for you" mantra front and centre."

Consumers are increasingly fatigued by repetitive, perfunctory expressions of empathy from brands and negative toward insincere messaging. During the early pandemic many brands paused promotion, posted service updates, or adopted a uniform "we're here for you" stance. Some brands provided genuine help, while others paired empathy with opportunistic product pitches. Social listening revealed growing resentment toward overused reassuring emails and tone-deaf promotions. Brands need to continuously monitor consumer sentiment and move beyond generic reassurance toward authentic actions: meaningful offers, tangible support, context-aware marketing, and honest communication. Genuine relevance and value will restore trust and enable responsible resumption of marketing.

Read at The Drum