Putting customers’ needs before a brand’s self-interest is not an easy thing to do. But brands that do not address customer feedback and shift business strategies accordingly are missing an opportunity, according to Michele Silvestri, EVP and chief design director at GTB.

In the fifth episode of Oath’s Brand Love series, Silvestri talks about the importance of listening to customers and using those insights to create positive change.

“[In order] to provide a better service or better utility, the [feedback loop] is critical.  [It’s about] taking the data and information that is coming in and using that to evolve and become more relevant over time,” she says in the video.

Being receptive to a consumer’s needs does pay off, according to research by global digital agency Wunderman. The survey reveals that 79% of consumers want brands to actively demonstrate “they understand and care” about them before they consider purchasing.

In a follow-up interview with The Drum, when asked whether the customer feedback loop is broken, Silvestri says it is “fractured to varying degrees”. But brands can use technology to make changes, because even “small, incremental shifts” can have a substantial impact.

“Brands might be overlooking opportunities to share feedback or simply be denying concerns and delaying a response to adjust brand behaviour,” she explains. “Brands must analyse the data to form patterns and connections that will provide the insights that can lead to behavioural change, for both the brand and the consumer.”

Watch the full video above for more insights. Catch up on last week’s episode here as DDB chairman Keith Reinhard talks about the perils of digital distraction.

Brand love stories is a video series by Oath, home to 50+ media and technology brands, exploring the nuanced aspects that connect customers to brands they love, with keys insights and perspectives from some of the best minds in the industry.

Catch up on all the episodes here.