How brands communicate beyond the reality of life – and don’t even realize it

Between eco-platitudes and moral sense of mission: Why modern brand communication often misses the audience – and what lies behind it.

The world is in motion, people are looking for orientation, for moments of happiness, for security or simply for everyday life that works.

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But while the lives of most consumers are becoming increasingly pragmatic, many brand communications still tell the same storyEverything is sustainable, everything is conscious, and everything is certified. With as many labels and ESG badges as possible.

PR filter bubble

The problem: This type of communication reaches a large number of editorial offices and therefore no longer reaches people – or worse, it annoys them.

Anyone who is confronted with real challenges on a daily basis, such as rising living costs, overwhelming digitalization, or political uncertainty, has little understanding for brands that primarily celebrate themselves because they won an award at the next sustainability conference or because the CEO no longer flies on a private jet.

Many of these campaigns seem out of touch, over-the-top, or simply indifferent. Target audiences sense this – but many communications departments fail to notice. Why?

Bad advice

One reason is obvious: brands are often advised by agencies that themselves operate in closed systems. Full of trend slides, buzzword rankings and LinkedIn applauseThe real everyday lives of consumers, readers and users are left out.

The result is a repetitive, identical PR campaign that fits perfectly in PowerPoint but doesn't fit into reality. And communication measures that resemble activism more than brand management. A PR style has emerged that is no longer focused on impact, but rather on political correctness.

Please without hypocrisy

Of course, people are interested in whether a product was produced fairly. Climate awareness is certainly a factor. But it's not the only narrative.

What counts today is credibility, relevance, and emotional intelligence. And that doesn't come from PR statements, but from experienced authenticity in language, appearance, and product.

Tips for brands

Before wasting budgets on public relations at all, brands can consider the following points.

◉ Reduction instead of over-signaling: Not every sentence needs an organic seal.

◉ Language that sounds human: Not like a grant application.

◉ Less “mission”, more “substance”: People want to know what they are getting – not what the brand thinks it is.

◉ Anchoring communication in everyday life: What does the product mean for a day in the life of the target group?

Communicate correctly

Brands that want to communicate successfully today don't need PR religions, but a keen sense of realities in life.

They need to get out of the bubble and into real dialogue. Only then will relevance be achieved. And that's precisely what matters today more than ever. Otherwise, they'll miss the reality of life.

Sierks Media / © Photo: Brooke Cagle, Unsplash