The death of the “user”: Why 2026 is the year we start marketing to humans again
We’ve obsessed over "users," "sessions," "segments," and "conversions" for long enough. We’ve optimized for the scroll, the click, and the algorithm. Marketing has been on a side quest to master the machine, but we’ve now turned our customers into data points.
In reality, data points don’t have dreams. Sessions don’t have bad days. And "users" don't buy products – people do.
We are pretty excited that we seem to be moving away from a focus on algorithms and data, and back towards human connection. We’re not saying throw data out the window, but you should use it as a tool rather than the ONLY focus of your strategy.
The empathy gap: Why your data is lying to you
Your dashboard might tell you that a "user" spent 42 seconds on your landing page before bouncing. It won't tell you why.
Were they a tired parent looking for a solution at 2:00 AM?
Were they a frustrated business owner who has been burned by three other agencies?
Were they looking for a sign that your brand actually cares about their specific struggle?
When we look only at the numbers, we develop an empathy gap. We start creating content that satisfies a search engine but leaves a human being feeling cold. You’ve probably experienced it, but there is so much AI-generated noise out there. The most "optimized" content is often the least memorable.
Moving from "targets" to "community"
We used to target demographics: Males, 35-45, $75k+ income. Demographics are still important in terms of finding certain audience characteristics, but now the focus should be on shared experiences. We’re looking at psychographics more and more for finding your loyal brand community.
Empathy-driven marketing asks different questions:
What keeps our audience awake at night?
What does "winning" look like for them (not just for their ROI)?
What is the one thing they are afraid to admit out loud about their needs?
When you answer those questions, you move from salesperson to partner. You’re no longer just a "tab" in their browser or a screen shot on their phone they’ll never look at again.
The three pillars of the human connection strategy
If you want to transition from algorithms to empathy, start with these three shifts:
Transparency: Stop being "corporate polished." People trust people who admit they aren't perfect. Share the behind-the-scenes, the failures, and the "why" behind your brand.
Conversational intelligence: Audit your copy. If you wouldn't say it to a friend over coffee, don't put it in an email. Remove the jargon. Speak human.
Active listening over broadcasting: Social media was meant to be a two-way street – it’s meant to be social. Instead of just pushing content, ask questions and respond to the answers.
The "Am I a robot?" self-audit checklist
No, we’re not going to ask you to tell us if you see traffic lights in squares… Every time you schedule an any communication on your marketing channels, you should always ask yourself whether you are adding to the noise or building strong, human-led connections.
First look back at your current strategy and then use this as a checklist moving forward. Ask yourself these five questions:
The coffee test: If you read your latest email blast out loud to a friend over coffee, would you feel embarrassed? (If it’s full of jargon, the answer is yes).
The "You" vs. "We" ratio: Look at your homepage. Does the word "We" (or your brand name) appear more often than the word "You"? Human-first marketing centers the customer as the hero, not the brand.
The barrier to entry: Does your brand ever admit to a mistake, a flaw, or a "behind-the-scenes" mess? Perfection is a wall; vulnerability is a doorway.
The two-way street: When someone comments on your social media, do you give a genuine, personalized reply, or do you drop a "Thanks!" emoji and move on?
The pain point precision: Can you name the top three non-business fears your customers have right now? If you only know their "pain points" as they relate to your product, you don't know them well enough yet.
The algorithm is a tool, not a strategy. It can get your message in front of the right eyes, but it cannot make those eyes stay.
The "User" is dead. Long live the Human.