Let’s face it: the digital marketing world is a jungle. Brands are constantly fighting to grab attention in an ocean of noise and customers. And those customers are getting pickier by the second.
So how do you break through the clutter and actually connect with your audience? Well, that's easy – stop following the same formulas and start thinking differently. Enter design thinking.
This isn’t just some buzzword to throw around in meetings, it’s a mindset. Design thinking isn’t about slapping a logo on a campaign and hoping it sticks. It’s about connecting with your customers, experimenting until you find what clicks and always, always staying one step ahead. So, how can this human-centred approach change things for marketers today? Let’s think about that:
1. Empathy: Stop Guessing, Start Listening
Here’s a little secret in digital marketing: Most campaigns don’t connect because they’re based on assumptions or predefined corporate communication. Brands throw out broad messages that they hope will resonate, but guess what? That’s a long shot... in the dark.
Design thinking puts empathy at the core of everything, allowing marketers to dive into the minds of their client's customers and ask: “What do they really care about?” “What keeps them up at night?” "What is the square root of minus one?!" It’s about understanding real needs, not just the ones you think they have (or maybe even want them to have?).
That means going beyond the data - interviews, surveys, social listening, community engagement - all of the above. This is about going out and finding out by talking to your audience directly as far as is humanly possible. Because once you’ve got that insight, you’re armed with the knowledge to create campaigns that actually speak to them.
2. Iterative Testing: Failing Fast and Failing Forward
Gone are the days of creating a shiny new campaign, launching it with a bang and hoping it lands while moving on to the next thing. We’re in a world where things move fast and so should your marketing – This is where iteration comes in.
Design thinking isn’t about “getting it right the first time.” Although, of course, that is always the aim... It’s about testing, tweaking and improving on the fly.
Launch something, get feedback, optimise, repeat.
And repeat until you’ve got something that really works - whether the ultimate final product is reached now or in the next campaign.
That means A/B testing can't just be a one-time deal, but should form part of the ongoing process of marketing. Review what did and didn't work on a campaign with a critical eye either during or after the lifecycle - your findings and others' feedback will guide you to a better version. When you see real-time results, you’ll know whether to double down on a strategy or pivot to something fresh because embracing failure is the fastest way to get to the good stuff.
[Note: failure is a strong word here, but for dramatic effect, it gets the idea across nicely. One could also say: ...embracing where things didn't go perfectly is the fastest way to get to the really good stuff.]
3. Creativity: Ditch the Safe Bets and Get Bold
Let’s get serious for a second: everyone’s playing it safe. Same old ads. Same predictable messages. Same boring visuals. If you want to stand out, you might want to consider getting out of the “safe zone” for a bit.
Now we're not saying you need to get buck wild with your brand, but pushing the boat out even a little can help make your message stand out a lot.
Design thinking is all about bold creativity. It’s about thinking differently and asking, “What if we did something unexpected?” Not in a gimmicky way, but in a way that speaks to the emotions of your audience by going out on a limb and trusting them to know the message aligns with what you're really about - by having meaningful dialogue on relevant channels. It's about being open to experimenting with new platforms, new formats and new ways to engage people.
Don’t just throw banner ads at people and hope someone from your audience sees it... People read what they want to read and sometimes it's an ad. Use TikTok, leverage AR, try out interactive content or collaborate to make something authentic. This is where creativity meets strategy and the results speak for themselves more often than not.
4. Bridging the Gap: Data + Human Insights = Results
We all know the importance of data. You can’t run an effective digital marketing campaign without it. But it should be obvious by now that data can only tell you so much and you have to fill in the human aspect because data can't tell you exactly why people act the way they do.
This is where design thinking comes to life because it combines hard data with human-centred insights. Instead of just looking at numbers and metrics, you’re weaving in real customer feedback, stories, thoughts and emotions to guide your decisions.
Of course, you’re still tracking conversions and engagement rates, but now you’re using that data to understand the deeper emotional connection your audience has with your brand. And once you get that, you’ve unlocked the holy grail of digital marketing: campaigns that don’t just perform, but truly connect.
5. Case Studies: Real Brands Doing It Real Well
Let’s take a look at some brands that have already figured this out and are leading the way with their use of design thinking:
Airbnb: Airbnb didn’t just guess what their users wanted – they asked them. By conducting research and deeply understanding both hosts and guests, Airbnb redesigned its platform based on real customer pain points. The result is a user experience that’s intuitive, seamless and one that customers can feel in control of and therefore connected to.
Spotify: Spotify’s “Discover Weekly” feature didn’t just come from analysing data. It came from really listening to users, understanding how they discover music and blending that with data insights. The result? A personalised experience that keeps users coming back.
Nike: Nike’s “Nike Training Club” app truly gets it. They’re using design thinking to continually evolve based on user feedback, ensuring the app stays fresh, engaging and (most importantly) useful to their audience. It’s not just about selling shoes; it’s about selling a lifestyle and an experience. That is best enjoyed in a pair of Nike Trainers obviously.
Conclusion: Time to Think or Get Left Behind
The marketing game is always changing and it’s not slowing down. If we get stuck in our old ways, playing it safe with tired tactics, we’re going to get left in the digital dust. The pinnacle of digital marketing isn’t just about data-driven decisions, customised platforms or polished visuals - it’s about creating real, human-centric experiences that customers can’t ignore.
Maybe it's not as easy as we laid out in the beginning, and maybe it's not some magic bullet, but design thinking can outline and guide the shift needed to truly connect your brand to its audience. Which is the point after all, right?
Design thinking isn't just about 'design' in the traditional sense where art directors and digital designers need to use colour and shapes to catch someone's attention, no, it's thinking about what you do at every point and ensuring that the design aligns with the customer's idea of what's good. One could actually call it Creative Thinking if one was so inclined...
Ready to stop guessing and start truly connecting with your audience/customers? The best brands and businesses already are, so let's put our thinking caps on and get going!