Getting to the Heart of an Empathy Program
There are a variety of ways to integrate deep empathy into customer research. This includes such techniques as active listening, empathy mapping, sentiment analytics, storytelling, and more. By incorporating these steps, you can move beyond surface-level data and develop a deep understanding of your customers, leading to more effective marketing strategies and stronger brand relationships.
But to explore this more deeply, is empathy more than just boosting the customer-centricity of your efforts? Ultimately, empathy tools are a way to humanize the data. Indeemo, in its guide to empathy programs in market research, points to why it matters: “Empathy is the cornerstone of meaningful customer relationships. It goes beyond numbers and metrics, delving into the emotions, behaviors, and contexts that shape customer experiences. An effective empathy program not only uncovers what customers think but also reveals why they feel and act the way they do.”
Overall, this qualitative research technique offers a deeper understanding of the customer or audience. Benefits could include improved decision-making, empathy-driven insights, stronger customer relationships and a competitive advantage by staying committed to meeting customer needs.
Indeemo’s tips for developing an empathy program include:
- Holistic Approach: Consider the entire customer journey, from awareness to post-purchase experiences.
- Multi-Channel Integration: Leverage diverse data sources, such as video diaries, screen recordings, and surveys, for a comprehensive view.
- Participant-Centric Design: Prioritize methods that are easy and engaging for participants, ensuring authentic and valuable contributions.
- Ongoing Engagement: Treat empathy programs as a continuous process rather than a one-time project.
Building for Happiness
During TMRE 2025, the team at Sekisui House will hold a fireside chat, “The Happiness Blueprint: Resolving Pain Points to Drive Meaningfully Different Home Designs.” Home is more than just a structure—it’s where life happens. And while homeowners spend the majority of their lives at home, many feel their spaces don’t fully nurture their daily routines or future aspirations. This session explores how Sekisui House is challenging the status quo by designing a meaningfully different new home brand, built on deep empathy and an understanding of implicit consumer needs. By uncovering hidden pain points, we are transforming home design—beyond individual features—to create spaces that foster comfort, joy, and a happier life. Discover how innovative research methods, delving into buyer perceptions of home quality and daily routines, are elevating home designs and ultimately, the experience of home.
The chat will be held by Jason Jacobson, Senior Director Consumer Insights at Sekisui House; Keith Laba, VP of Consumer Analytics at Sekisui House; and Erin Willis, Chief Insights Officer at Sekisui House.
Seeing Through Consumers’ Eyes
Designing empathy programs can ultimately lead to powerful insights and build stronger connections to audiences. With the growth of AI in market research, empathy is also a powerful way to bridge the gap by creating insights and engagement on a more human level. Yet as technology continues to evolve, it is making more advanced features and functions available for qualitative research and even more nuanced and more empathetic-driven gains in ethnographic research, in-depth interviews, and persona development, for example.
As Riwi notes in its blog, “Unveiling the Power of Consumer Empathy in Market Research,” customer-centric business models are relying on the importance of market research. Riwi observes, “As technology continues to evolve, the future of consumer empathy in market research looks promising. Advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning are enabling more sophisticated analysis of qualitative data, allowing researchers to uncover deeper insights more efficiently. These technologies can help identify patterns and trends in consumer behavior that might otherwise go unnoticed.”
Video: “CX Update #20: Customer satisfaction at Airbnb, building empathy and more,” courtesy of Steven Van Belleghem.
