Abstract
ABSTRACT We begin with the premise that empathy adds value as a strategic marketing skill. Getting into the heads and hearts of consumers enables tailored offerings and tactics that meet the unique, richly contextualized needs of a given target audience segment. The advent of marketing automation and artificial intelligence (AI) is predicted to make human-centered skills even more critical to develop, as AI’s capabilities stop short of emotional connection and interpretation. As a result, we ask how empathy can be cultivated and applied, and if so, will empathy toward a given market segment result in attitude or behavior change? This paper details a three-stage project that gives students the opportunity to practice using empathy toward a specific market segment – transgender consumers. Students leverage empathy to ultimately develop concrete innovations across a broad range of marketing tactics. We also discuss the impact of the project on students. Results indicate that students completing the project embraced empathy as a strategic skill, and in the process, many also expressed intended support behaviors for the transgender community, although attitudes toward the transgender community did not change.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
