Human After All

The value of the golden rule in tech, product marketing, and beyond.

Mrs. Carter was a miserable buzzkill. As a student in her first grade class, I was not interested in her lessons on recognizing capital letters or counting all the way to 100. Most of my school memories from 1988 involve being disciplined for ignoring an assignment or getting sent to the principal's office for misbehaving. It was a tough year, but a very important one for me – because Mrs. Carter drilled an invaluable lesson into my six-year-old mind that I have never forgotten. It really stuck with me then, and still serves as a guidepost for daily decisions, even in the creative work I do today. It’s called the Ethics of Reciprocity, or more commonly, the Golden Rule:

"Treat others as you want to be treated."

It’s such a simple and ubiquitous rule — not only instilled as a code of conduct by parents and early educators since the beginning of time, this idea of being a decent human and finding common ground is also fundamental to every major religion, and surfaces today in so many pop culture moments like this episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm and the lyrics of this song – by the most epically enigmatic EDM duo, Daft Punk. 

Growing up and navigating a career in creative marketing, I’ve learned it’s impossible to overstate the importance of this golden philosophy - especially in cutting edge tech. For product designers and marketers, this means solving real human problems, clearly showing how or why you do it, and forming genuine connections with a human touch. It means leading with empathy and being laser-focused on users’ needs to counter their skepticism and ease their concerns with adopting complex new technology. 

To some, it seems humanity is becoming obsolete. But I wholeheartedly disagree. I think it’s actually more important than ever. While machines and data can generate insights and automate processes at lightning speed, they don’t possess all the magic. They still can't replicate the warmth, authenticity, and relatable feels that humans bring to the table. 

Here are some ways you can go low-tech and let human superpowers go to work in product marketing:

Empathize to build trust and loyalty

Do machines really get the emotional rollercoaster a person goes through when their wi-fi needs resetting, flight gets canceled, or hotel is overbooked? I don’t think so. Humans, however, can relate to frustrations, celebrate triumphs, and even laugh at the absurdity of tech glitches. This emotional connection is the foundation of product utility and the adjacent marketing that builds trust and loyalty. 🤜💓🤛

AIRBNB AND BUCK collaborated to produce this video series addressing user pain points with quick, charming stories. Link to playlist

Hook audiences with a relatable story

While a fancy automated tool can generate volumes of data-driven content, it struggles to put together complete narratives. Humans can weave together tales that evoke emotions and inspire action. A well-crafted marketing story can transform a feature-heavy product demo into a relatable hero's journey, making it easier for your audience to develop a personal connection with the brand . 🦸🔗💥

VOLVO AND CINEMATOGRAPHER HOYTE VAN HOYTEMA tell an emotive story rooted in Volvo’s core brand tenet: safety. Link to video

Be a brand of your word

In a world of LLMs and GenAI – truth and transparency are more valuable than ever. Fake claims and misleading content should be saved for the poker table. So, trade those chips in for unique human perspectives, a genuine purpose, and passion for doing the right thing. This authenticity needs to shine through in marketing campaigns to foster a brand image that is ethical and rooted in reality. 🫀⚖️🌎

TOASTER worked with CHROMEOS FLEX to create the “Don’t bin it, just flex it” sustainability campaign, encouraging businesses to limit e-waste while lowering costs. Link to case study

These best practices are the fuel for our creative fire at Toaster. They are the secret ingredients that transform cold, transactional relationships into exchanges of compassion and partnership. Being user-obsessed and applying the golden rule in product marketing allows us to craft campaigns that resonate with tech audiences on an emotional level, and to deliver tangible results for our clients.

So, thinking back to 1988 – I don’t know if Mrs. Carter would have been into Daft Punk. Or maybe she would have loved them! I’m not sure. I do know they all would have agreed on this point: As tech continues to evolve, we can’t overlook the irreplaceable roles of empathy and human ingenuity. Because we are Human After All, and the golden rule isn’t so much written in code as it is collectively felt and valued.