Empathy-based personas are an incredibly powerful tool organizations can do to make their content -- as well as their programs, products, and services -- more effective. In this presentation, we cover what they are, the results they deliver, and how to create them.

1. [bt]Ç | Brand Therapy
ÇEmpathy-Based Personas:
Shifting Your View
from Inside-out to Outside-in
ISAE CEO Strategy Academy
September 25, 2019
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Hilary Marsh
President and Chief Strategist,
Content Company, Inc.
We help associations and other content-rich
organizations surface their member value
through effective content practices.
Esteban González
Founder and Lead Strategist,
Brand Therapy
An insights-driven strategy and ideas workshop
devoted to creating healthy, sustainable brand
relationships.

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Agenda
Why personas?
What are empathy-based
personas?
An empathy exercise
How we create personas
Benefits for associations
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Why personas?
4

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What keeps association executives up at night?
Ç Getting and losing members
Ç An aging member base
Ç Attracting and retaining new and younger
professionals into the association
Ç Trying to be relevant to each member based on
their specific needs
Ç Staying with or ahead of the technology curve, as
more people expect a for-profit experience
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The solutions to these issues all rely
on understanding audiences better.
That’s what personas are about.

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What are personas?
7
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Personas aren’t really new…

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“Personas are not real people,
but they represent them
throughout the design process.
They are hypothetical
archetypes of actual users.
Although they are imaginary,
they are defined with significant
rigor and precision.”
— The Inmates Are Running
The Asylum, 1998Alan Cooper
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Analysts love them.
They’re now a hallmark of
customer-centric thinking.

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They capture the
totality of a person,
all the details that make
people relatable to us.
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Personas aren’t:
Ç Segments
Ç Stereotypes
Ç Average users
Ç Roles

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Examples of how they look are all over the web.
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1. Name, age, gender,
location, marital status
2. Education and
socioeconomic class
3. Media habits, digital
fluency, social media
behavior
4. Goals, opinions, and
attitudes toward the
organization’s brand,
products, etc.
5. Tasks, pain points,
environmental factors

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But this isn’t really enough…
Personas need to be much more
than a collection of information
about audiences.
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This is where empathy comes in…

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Empathy provides
context for separating
what’s meaningful from
what’s just information,
what’s signal from
what’s noise.
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In an era where everyone’s convinced
all the answers come from the data…

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Data and analytics aren’t
a magic bullet when it
comes to engaging and
retaining members.Information ≠ Insight
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“Not everything that
can be counted counts,
and not everything that
counts can be counted.”

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Empathy lets us balance
analytical thinking with
emotional intelligence
and intuition.
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“Empathy will be like literacy was in the 1300s.
Without it, one will be marginalized and unable
to function professionally.”
Bill Drayton, founder of Ashoka, the world’s largest
network of social entrepreneurs

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An empathy exercise
23
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A bit of advice…

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Think about their
underlying needs.
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Think about their story.
What have they gone
through to get here?

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What’s tripping them up, getting in their way?
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What’s affirming
them, giving them
energy?

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Are they alone? Who else is in the equation?
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Ok, let’s get started.

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How Brand Therapy
creates personas
31
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Looking beyond the obvious…
33
What does research say about
audiences, their behavior?
What characteristics do they
share, separates them?
What media do they use?
Where do they get info?
What makes them tick as
individuals, as people?
How do they evaluate
things, what drives choices?
How do media and
messages come to mean
something to them?
Most personas
Empathy-based
personas
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Instead of just
describing audiences
and creating a profile
like this…

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We can create detailed
stories about real people
we know and we can
identify with.
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Empathy improves personas
Ç Creates a richer, more accessible picture of audiences
Ç Makes assumptions about audiences explicit and sharable
Ç Exposes hidden biases and problematic assumptions
Ç Creates a greater connection with audiences as individuals
Ç Stimulates creative ideas about being meaningful to audiences

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A wide range of uses…
Ç Product development
Ç Digital/social strategy
Ç Brand strategy
Ç Strategic planning
Focused, Tactical Big Picture, Strategic
Ç Web redesign
Ç Digital/social campaign
Ç Content strategy
Ç Marketing campaigns
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All personas begin from
real data, like this…
Ç Membership is predominantly male, 90%
Ç Over half are between 45 and 65 years old
Ç 97% are Caucasian
Ç Less than a quarter are under 45 years old
Ç Over four-fifths are married
Ç Two-thirds do not have children in the home
Ç Over half live in suburbs outside a major city
Ç Almost two-thirds of members have worked
in the field for over 20 years (18 is the avg.)
Ç Most members are career agents who have
worked primarily with a single company
Ç Almost all do the bulk of their business with
life, annuities, long term care, or disability
Ç Over two-thirds generate from $150k to $1M
Ç Three-quarters of members have 2 or less
employees in their firms
Ç Almost two-thirds of former members cite
cost as the reason they left

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If possible, nothing beats
observing audiences in their
own habitats…
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The closeness can reveal a lot
about what’s important to them
and how they see value…

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We look for insights in patterns…
Demographics
Web behavior
Purchasing
Social activity
Emotional drivers
behind preferences
Connections
Tastes
Attitudes and values
Observations… Empathy…
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We create a persona
model with dimensions
that reflect the data, but
also begin to feel more
personal, less formal…
When I finish or accomplish something, my first instinct is to…
Look for another mountain to climb Sit back and enjoy the view
The world is changing and evolving every day, and I’m…
Optimistic and excited by it Skeptical and cautious because of it
I seek out thought leadership for…
New and interesting discoveries Ways to improve my game
At times, I’m more likely to trust people because of…
Their qualifications and credentials Our shared values and background
I like belonging to organizations because of what…
I personally gain from them Membership says about me
When facing tough times, I often draw strength from…
Conviction in my beliefs Remembering others depend on me
Technology is woven throughout life, and my approach is…
Old school, I print my emails I just tweeted an app for that

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Created Skeletons
We create a number of skeletons, which we
eventually narrow down to three or four…
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In workshops, we ask…
Ç Which ones keep us up
at night?
Ç Are they too stereotypical?
Too out there?
Ç Are any biases at work here?
Ç Which seem the most true?
Ç Do they reflect the research?

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Underlying everything is a fundamental question…
Who are the most important people
for addressing the specific issue at hand?
Current audiences,
ones we already know
and try to serve
New audiences,
emerging ones we
think may be important
and
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Once we’ve settled on a smaller set, the real fun begins…

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The key is collaboration.
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Motivations — the reason or reasons audiences have for acting or behaving
in a particular way; what fuels their the general desire or willingness of
someone to do something
Fears — audiences’ feelings of anxiety concerning the outcome of something
or the safety and well-being of someone
Frustrations — their feeling of being upset or annoyed, especially because of
their inability to change or achieve; things that prevent their progress, success,
or fulfillment of something
Aspirations — audiences’ hope or ambition for achieving something; the
object of their ambitions; their goals
We brainstorm about things like their…

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Discussion can get a bit spirited, and this is good…
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It indicates we’re connecting with the personas
in an authentic and real way.

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When we’re done we have the raw material
about four “real” people….
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…that we can turn into a tangible, usable tool.

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Why is this approach good
for associations?
53
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It helps us see
clearly the breadth of
the audiences at play.
1.

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It helps us see where we’re strong and where we’re weak…
Brenda Heidi Larry Beverly
Ç Intense runner, 45
Ç A “true believer”
Ç Competitive runner, 28,
a transplant from NYC
Ç Very focused on herself
Ç A returning runner, 50
Ç Runs for fitness, to
maintain his health
Ç Casual fitness runner, 34
Ç Runs for fun, stay fit,
to connect with friends
On the radar Not really on the radar
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It helps us tap into our
own internal knowledge
about how things
really work.
2.

29. [bt]Ç
Personas help us harness latent internal knowledge…
Anthony Susan Allen Maggie
Ç The Up-and-Comer Ç The Seasoned Pro Ç The Good-Guy Owner Ç The Support Pro
Known anecdotally but never defined explicitly
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We can better understand their needs and what they want from us…
Ç I’m ambitious, assertive;
not one to sit around
Ç I want to have it all
Ç I’m looking for
opportunities to make a
name for myself
Ç I’m here to win
Ç I’m a people person; I
make dreams come true
Ç I like that I know what
I’m doing, but I still want
to learn some new tricks
Ç I’m mature, I’m not so
frightened by this storm
Ç I have to think about the
bigger picture
Ç I’m looking for help, not
just tips, something
more practical, how-tos
Ç My community’s
important to me; I want
to improve it
Ç I like my members and I
want to them to succeed
Ç I see myself as a conduit
of information; I help the
flow
Ç I’m a professional, and I
want to keep improving
Ç Help me succeed; give
me what I need to soar
Ç Treat me like a go-
getter; appreciate me
Ç Give me a place where I
can shine
Ç Make me better, smarter
Ç Give me the latest and
greatest tips of the trade
Ç Allow me to extend my
reach, but in a way that
works with my style,
social and
conversational
Ç Help me and guide me
as I grow my business
Ç Give me a coherent and
unified voice for our
industry
Ç Give me practical
information like trends,
policies, etc. that I can
use today
Ç Make my job easier
Ç Help my members
Ç Make it easier to find
everything in one place
Ç Save me time, make me
more efficient, involve
me more
WhoIam…Whatactivatesme…
Anthony Susan Allen Maggie

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It gives us the
perspective to see
things that should be
obvious.
3.
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Empathy helps us see opportunities we might overlook…
Brenda Heidi Larry Beverly
Ç Intense runner, 45 Ç Competitive runner, 28 Ç A returning runner, 50 Ç Casual fitness runner, 34
…by questioning unconscious biases

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It helps us see the
connection we have
(or could have) with
important but elusive
audiences.
61
4.
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Associations often serve members with very different
interests and priorities…
Ken Nancy Sarah Henry
Ç A 43-year-old academic
originally from China;
married with two kids
Ç A 45-year-old product
development researcher
for a multinational
ingredients firm; married
with kids
Ç A 30-year-old single
compliance specialist
new to industry
Ç A 54-year-old sensory
expert in food
manufacturing; married
with older kids

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Helps us understand the members that will
move the organization forward…
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It creates a place
where “constructive
tensions” can build a
path to consensus.
5.

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Some programs, like a
website redesign, can be
overwhelming, with many
voices weighing in…
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From confusion and conflict comes clarity and consensus…
Community
[the fleets]
Passion
Productivity
& Utility
Clarity
[the Mac]
[info]
[member
tools]
[committees]
[amenities]
[belonging]
[boating
tools]
[joining]
[regattas]
[good
citizenship]
[club news]
[boating
resources]
[member
resources]
[the school]
[events]
[vibrancy]
[racing]

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It helps an organization
make better decisions
about things that affect
its members.
6.
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Boards and association leaders often face big questions…
Ç Should the organization focus more on advocacy?
Ç Should it own races?
Ç Should it develop wellness programs for
companies?
Ç Should it do more outreach to smaller, local clubs?
Ç How should its website be organized?

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Personas clearly express the brand’s value to members
Ç CARA name implies a
broad domain across
runners’ needs
Ç General sentiment that
people want to feel more
included in the organization
Ç Too exclusive a focus on
marathon training has a
limiting effect
Ç People highly value the
oversight role, especially
with racing
Ç High acceptance that the
scope should include larger
health and wellness issues
Ç People know CARA as the
gold standard for training
Ç Runners have lots of
questions — injuries, diet,
etc. — and need a
knowledgeable resource
they can turn to
Ç Expectation of knowledge
connecting running to the
community, to Chicago
Ç Speaks to character of
authority: helpful,
approachable, nurturing
Ç Expertise implies being a
champion of the pursuit at
its highest level
Ç A great deal of equity in
non-profit status and
unbiased voice
Ç Alignment with commercial
pursuits undercuts positive
halo of neutrality
Ç Independence and focus
on runners’ needs creates
clout with power players
Ç Positioned to fill a void:
lead an “engaged and
influential citizenry” and
advocate for the lakefront,
youth fitness, safety, etc.
Ç Expectation of stability and
gravitas; a mature and
buttoned up organization
Ç A training program focus
has encouraged seeing
engagement as episodic:
origin of the “leaky bucket”
Ç Financial pressures favor a
sustainable engagement
model and product set
Ç A clue in how longstanding
members see value: “it’s a
good thing to do” — speaks
to a higher order of need
Ç Embracing wellness
expands relevance to non-
event driven audiences
Ç Promoting advocacy
extends relevance to areas
important to broader
audiences
An Umbrella An Expert A Leader A Pathway
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Summing up
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Personas can give an organization a new sense of purpose
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“The single tool that does the best job
at spreading empathy throughout a business
is the persona.”
Peter Merholz,
Harvard Business Review

37. [bt]Ç
Empathy with the audience enhances how we work
Ç Promotes better, more balanced, pictures of audiences
Ç Taps into latent internal insights, overcomes silos and hierarchies
Ç It helps us see the big picture more clearly
Ç It makes new audiences more understandable
Ç Creates collaboration, engagement, and energy
Ç Provides a framework for making better, truer decisions
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Empathy by itself is a
personal experience…
It becomes
transformational when
it happens in a group
working together.

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Questions?
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Thank you.
Esteban González
esteban@brandtherapy.us
914.414.7104
Chicago, IL
Hilary Marsh
hilary@contentcompany.biz
@hilarymarsh
312.806.7854
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