- Strong human-centered marketing is performing better than traditional strategies across industries.
- Brands such as Liquid Death and Oatly put emotional connection before metrics—and experience significant growth.
- Humor, realness, and relatability are becoming the most powerful tools for today’s marketer.
- Taking chances can produce viral results when it matches a brand’s identity and what the audience cares about.
- Too much focus on growth marketing can hurt a brand’s personality and human connection.
In today’s crowded advertising space, brands are quickly seeing that standard strategies no longer work. The companies making an impact—whether they are selling canned water, luxury shoes, or fast food—are not succeeding by copying common practices or playing it safe. They are taking strong marketing chances, keeping people at the center, and always choosing to be real rather than overly polished. We’ll now discuss 12 actionable marketing strategy tips based on a human-centered marketing approach, highlighting strong brands that are gaining attention and popularity in a busy space.
Consider Your Audience as People, Not Just Consumers
Every marketing campaign ultimately connects with a person—someone with their own past, values, joys, and worries. Liquid Death’s Greg Fass understands this very well. Instead of targeting “consumers,” Fass encourages brands to target “humans.” This small change in language shapes their entire strong marketing strategy because it changes the relationship from business-like to personal.
Liquid Death’s campaigns become widely shared not because they are shocking just to be outrageous, but because they understand how real people laugh, become interested, and want to feel connected. The brand’s Martha Stewart campaign—a funny mock-crime scene ad with dark humor—became widely shared precisely because it spoke to common cultural references in a smart, unusual way that surprised and entertained. 
- Don’t just target demographics—understand what makes your audience tick. What excites your audience? What worries them? What makes them laugh? Speak to those very human aspects.
- Tip: Replace formal business messaging with humor, understanding, or lighthearted disrespect if it fits. People notice brands that treat them like people.
Being Strong Makes You Stand Out, Even If It’s Risky
Safe strategies don’t create huge results. Just ask Ron Goldenberg of the Brooklyn Nets. He led a campaign that could have failed: a Boston Biggie Smalls tribute show and a Brooklyn-themed pizzeria in Paris. Basketball fans in New York might have made fun of it—but the result? Amazing.
The event achieved something unexpected: it grew the fan base beyond NYC. Not only did the campaign get over 64,000 new emails from French fans, but ticket sales from that area grew by 195% from the previous year. The experiential marketing event encouraged involvement because it brought a small piece of Brooklyn to a place that rarely sees American streetball culture.
- Strong marketing strategy can make new types of demand, create interest in unused markets, and produce very large gains when done with cultural awareness.
- Tip: If your strong idea matches your brand’s identity and what your audience wants, taking the chance might be the most strategic thing to do.
Realness By Speaking Directly to the Audience
Human-centered marketing isn’t always perfect. Actually, sometimes the imperfect parts are the most relatable. Malört has used this well. Often called “undrinkable,” the liquor brand could have spent a lot of money trying to change how people see their flavor. Instead, their marketing manager Anna Sokratov openly admits the product’s lack of smoothness—with charm and humor.
By using self-deprecating humor and talking honestly about what people already think, Malört makes you feel like you’re part of an inside joke. It’s a type of very open honesty that shows the personality of a brand led by people—one that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Honesty, even when it’s a bit embarrassing, can get through the noise better than polished, overly planned campaigns.
- Tip: Remove the perfect image. Show your team, laugh at your mistakes, and let your audience feel like they are involved.
Use the Peanut Butter Method: Entertain To Sell
Ask yourself: would you send your newest ad to a friend? If not, why make it? Hootsuite’s Hassan S. Ali calls this the “peanut butter” method—covering a boring sales message with the fun, appealing things people love: humor, feeling, and entertainment.
Especially in today’s content-heavy world, boring content doesn’t get results. Instead of pushing features or stats, use humor, storytelling, culture, and relatability to wrap your message in something enjoyable.
- Consider memes, skits, animated stories, cultural references—anything that brings out real emotion. Entertainment creates connection, and connection builds closeness.
- Tip: Focus on emotional and cultural relevance. You might not measure the ROI perfectly, but you’ll build stronger brand connections that help everything else.
Don’t Let Growth Marketing Destroy Your Brand Personality
In a world focused on split-testing and KPIs, it’s easy to forget why marketing exists: to affect people. Brendan Lewis of Oatly warns marketers not to lose touch with their brand personality just to chase small growth.
This is where strong marketing becomes important. Oatly’s Times Square campaign about openness regarding the world’s condition didn’t go through many rounds of A/B testing. It was created to take a stand—and people noticed. It was risky, it wasn’t normal business, and it was beneficial for brand value.
- Data can give us understanding, but should not control every choice. Don’t weaken your creativity just because it’s hard to measure.
- Tip: Use data to measure impact—not to take the place of instinct. Campaigns that come from the heart create longer-lasting loyalty than PPC clicks ever could.
Forget Strategy Overload — Lead with Feeling
Jenna Kutcher is a marketing success, but she doesn’t overcomplicate things. She manages her Instagram account herself—even with over a million followers. Why? Because it keeps her connected to the human-centered marketing idea.
Algorithms change. Best practices change depending on the platform and what’s popular. But one thing is always important: human connection.
Her behind-the-scenes stories, unedited moments, and honest talks grow a community—not just followers—because they are real.
- Tip: Skip the content plan once in a while. Share what you enjoy, in the moment. Let your audience feel like they’re talking to a person, not a made-up character.
Make the Customer the Main Character
Customers don’t care that your product has won awards. They care about how it makes them feel, what it says about them, or how it fits into their lives.
When April Sunshine Hawkins helped change a jewelry brand’s messaging, she changed it from “here’s why we’re ethical” to “here’s how our jewelry helps mark the most important moments in your life.”
That small change turned the buyer from someone watching to the main character—exactly where they want to be.
- Tip: Stop trying to be the hero. Your job is to help your customers be the hero in their story.
Put Effort Into Engagement, Not Just Getting Seen
Marketing teams often focus too much on KPIs such as impressions or reach, but Chandler Quintin of Video Brothers finds real ROI in something much simpler: engagement.
He personally replies to likes, profile views, and invites. This method wouldn’t be part of any automated system, yet it led to 80% of their bookings—a huge ROI for a low-cost approach.
It shows that people still want connection, especially in the B2B and consulting area. Attention must be developed, not just shouted out.
- Tip: Take time to respond thoughtfully. Reply to comments. Send a quick thank you DM. That small effort changes awareness into action.
Use Public Mistakes as a Chance to Show Who You Are
California Pizza Kitchen made a mistake—they gave a customer just melted cheese instead of mac and cheese. Instead of hiding from it, Chef Paul used TikTok and changed the situation into a chance to show brand kindness.
The video explaining how to make proper mac and cheese was funny, sincere, and included a public apology and discount offer. The result? 13.5M views, shared goodwill, and even praise from critics.
- In the time of instant feedback, how you deal with mistakes might be more important than the mistakes themselves.
- Tip: Don’t hide from your mistakes. Address them with humility and humor—your audience will respect you for it.
Know What to Start, Stop, and Continue
Emily Kramer’s simple “Start, Stop, Continue” method gives clarity in a confusing marketing world. Especially for startups or small teams dealing with digital overload, this exercise helps focus on work that really matters.
Founders are drawn to new things—new tools, new channels, following trends. But lasting success depends on doing fewer things better. The strongest brands know where to put their attention.
- Use this approach in weekly marketing meetings, brainstorming, or quarterly planning sessions.
- Tip: Use this tool to fight against founder FOMO and being distracted by new, shiny things. Focus is your best strength.
Try Out Tools Yourself
Maryam Banikarim of Fortune Media doesn’t just approve marketing reports—she personally uses platforms like Squarespace and HubSpot. She believes putting yourself in the user’s position is not just good practice—it’s key for strong marketing based on relevance.
Getting involved yourself creates creative insights, helps you understand the real limits of tools, and keeps your skills ready for the future. In a world of content made by AI and creativity being outsourced, this type of hands-on interest stands out.
- Tip: Stay involved with your tech and content. Interest is like a muscle—and marketers who keep using it will prepare their skills for the future faster.
Inspire Confidence, Not Insecurity
Bodega refuses to play the fashion game of making people feel “less than.” While many competitors use exclusivity and FOMO to drive sales, Bodega avoids marketing that uses shame completely.
As Matt Zaremba says, that type of strategy is “empty calories”—short-lived, addictive, and ultimately harmful. Instead, Bodega invites people into a cultural moment, helping them feel included and inspired.
- It’s possible to build a high-end position without pushing away your audience. Sell an idea, not a test of someone’s worth.
- Tip: Sell with understanding, not ego. Especially in style or B2B, language that empowers builds long-term brand love.
Rewriting What Strong Strategy Means
It’s not about the biggest budget, the most extreme ad, or the loudest voice. Strong marketing means showing up with courage, belief, and connection. It’s about being deeply human in everything your brand does—from product messaging to dealing with problems.
Yes, taking creative chances might feel uncomfortable. But if they show your brand values and are meant to help your customers feel something real, they’re almost always worth it.
Think again about your next campaign. Would you send it to a friend? Would it make someone laugh, agree in recognition, or think about themselves? If so, you’re already ahead of the game—and far beyond your competition.
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