From ears to engagement
My experience working in advertising alongside training in psychotherapy has shown me first-hand the significance of listening professionally and personally. I don’t think my volunteering clients would appreciate me simply smiling and nodding while they spill their guts. As for advertising, it’s unlikely that customers would respond positively to an ad that says, “Buy this because we said so.”
I can’t talk about listening without mentioning Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis. Listening was at the core of his therapeutic technique and involved exploring clients’ unconscious thoughts and feelings to gain insight into their behaviour and emotions. Speaking openly and truthfully about thoughts and feelings was encouraged by Freud in his renowned talking cure, regardless of how awkward or embarrassing the client felt. By carefully listening, Freud believed he could help clients uncover unconscious conflicts and repressed emotions and ultimately resolve them.
Today, Freud’s emphasis on listening is still relevant. Though initially applied in therapy, it has proven helpful in many industries, including ours. When we listen to others, we better understand their needs. This information allows us to create more effective and engaging campaigns that resonate with our audience. When creating campaigns for healthcare products or services, it’s important to understand the needs and concerns of the target audience. Without listening to the audience, you might as well shout into a void or, worse, create an ad campaign that makes people want to run screaming for the hills in the other direction.
But listening goes beyond just hearing them speak. It means empathising with their experiences and understanding their emotions to achieve better outcomes. In other words, it’s like being a really good friend, except instead of giving them a shoulder to cry on, you’re giving them a pill to swallow. Pun intended.
For example, the “We Are The NHS” campaign in England is a testament to the effectiveness of listening and empathy in advertising. In response to a shortage in nurses, the NHS made a decision to truly listen to the concerns and aspirations of potential nurses. Through this campaign, the NHS shared stories from nurses which shed light on their experience and the profound impact they had on patients’ lives. By addressing misconceptions and highlighting how fulfilling nursing can be, this campaign successfully transformed people’s perception of the profession. Not only did it generate interest in nursing careers, but it also created a deep emotional connection between the recruitment and nursing community. By sharing authentic narratives, the campaign humanised the profession and proved successful in addressing staffing issues.
So whether we’re talking about therapy, advertising, or even our personal lives, listening is an essential skill that can help us connect with others and create positive change. As Freud recognised, it’s only by listening carefully to what others say that we can truly understand their thoughts, feelings, and motivations and ultimately help them live happier, healthier lives.
By Chloe de Caux, Business Unit Director
Reference:
NHS England. (2022, October 24). NHS launches recruitment drive for tens of thousands of nurses, amid record staff vacancies. Retrieved from NHS England: https://www.england.nhs.uk/2022/10/nhs-launches-recruitment-drive-for-tens-of-thousands-of-nurses-amid-record-staff-vacancies/
