Talk Human to Me … How technical brands are finding their voice … auto brands look beyond the car, pharma brands look beyond the pill, tech brands look beyond the spec … to engage and inspire, build empathy and desire

January 31, 2025

Scientific and technology companies are typically obsessed about their science and tech. And as a result, they obsess about their products, their capabilities and specifications. And yet, it means and matters little to most people. Can you remember the name of that drug prescribed by your GP? Do you actually understand the technology of your cool new phone?

For too long, the world’s most technical companies have spoken in a language few people understand. Whether in pharmaceuticals, automotive, or deep tech, the focus has been on precision, process, and performance—often at the cost of empathy, emotion, and relevance. But in today’s world, where trust is fragile and attention is fleeting, even the most science-driven brands must learn to speak in a more human voice.

This isn’t about dumbing down. It’s about smartening up—about making complexity accessible, solutions relatable, and brands lovable. Because when people understand you, they engage with you. When they feel something, they believe in you.

Product to Person … the shift to human-centered thinking

It starts with a mindset shift—from inside-out to outside-in. Instead of asking, “What do we make?” the best brands ask, “What do people need? What do they care about? How do we become meaningful in their lives?”

This shift transforms the way technical businesses innovate, communicate, and grow. It encourages them to move from product features to human outcomes, from compliance to compassion, from spec sheets to stories.

Pharma: Making care personal

Pharma has long wrestled with the tension between regulatory caution and emotional connection. But brands that find the right balance can shift the conversation—and the culture.

Think of Viagra. Pfizer didn’t market it as a molecule. It became a symbol of confidence, intimacy, and vitality. It tapped into human emotion, not just biology.

Or Dove’s Real Beauty campaign (Unilever), which despite being a personal care brand, offered a lesson to all science-led companies: the product is only one part of the value; the emotional meaning is what people remember.

Even OTC brands are finding their voice. P&G’s “Like a Girl” campaign—while promoting Always sanitary products—turned a technical product into a movement for self-worth and gender empowerment. This reframed the brand as a platform for conversation, not just consumption.

Automotive: Engineering emotions

Car companies used to sell torque and horsepower. Now they sell freedom, sustainability, and joy. Tesla didn’t win the EV race by talking about batteries. It spoke about a better future—and then made you want to drive it.

Volvo, historically the safety champion, reinvented safety as emotional security—“For Life”—and used storytelling to show how its technology protects what matters most. Meanwhile, BMW shifted from “The Ultimate Driving Machine” to “Sheer Driving Pleasure,” aligning performance with feeling.

Even suppliers are taking cues. Bosch’s “Invented for Life” campaign links precision engineering with everyday human benefit—from kitchen appliances to smart mobility—demonstrating that technical excellence is only valuable when it touches people’s lives.

Technology: Speaking like a friend

Tech companies are fluent in specs. But increasingly, the most successful ones speak in stories. Apple’s mastery lies not just in design, but in its ability to translate innovation into aspiration. It doesn’t sell you an iPhone—it sells you creativity, connection, self-expression.

Google builds trust not with algorithms, but with simple interfaces and reassuring brand language (“Don’t be evil” may be gone, but the intent lives on in its design philosophy).

Even B2B brands are shifting. Salesforce, a CRM platform, uses bold human language like “Customer 360” and “Trailblazer” to make abstract tech relatable. Its “Ohana” culture language brings emotional depth to enterprise software.

Startups like NotCo, using AI to recreate animal products from plants, don’t just explain the science—they make it deliciously fun. Their brand voice is cheeky, warm, and unmistakably human, helping them build trust with curious but cautious consumers.

Engineering: From R&D to relevance

Traditional manufacturing has often hidden behind complexity. But a new wave of industrial brands are finding more engaging ways to talk—and think.

Schneider Electric moved from technical infrastructure to positioning itself as an enabler of sustainable living. “Life Is On” is more than a tagline—it reframes electrical systems as lifelines to energy equity and climate action.

GE, once focused on industrial might, evolved into a brand of “Imagination at Work,” combining high science with human stories—like a mother who built jet engines telling her daughter she too can change the world.

DSM, a science-based company in health, nutrition, and materials, rebranded with an emotionally resonant promise: “Bright Science. Brighter Living.” The shift helped position its deep R&D as a force for good—not just efficiency.

Building a consumer mindset

When technical businesses adopt a consumer mindset, they don’t just communicate better—they innovate better. They uncover unmet needs, create richer experiences, and build loyalty around meaning, not just function.

They add services that make life easier: Pharma brands are exploring companion apps, adherence tools, and education platforms. Auto companies offer subscription models and connected car services. Industrial firms offer predictive maintenance platforms and remote diagnostics.
They humanize their brand architecture: Unilever and P&G use their corporate names as trust marks, while giving space for emotionally resonant consumer brands (like Dove, Pampers, or Vicks) to shine. The parent brand provides trust and ethics; the product brand delivers experience and relevance.
They co-create with communities: From tech forums to health influencers, companies are inviting people into their innovation process. It’s not just about launching better products—it’s about building a sense of belonging.
They embrace storytelling: Whether it’s case studies, patient journeys, or behind-the-scenes documentaries, stories cut through where specs cannot. They give technology a human face.

Building human brands

The age of cold, technical superiority is over. In its place rises a new era—where credibility meets empathy, and expertise meets imagination. Where deep science and advanced engineering must still be rigorous—but now must also be relatable.

To win in this world, companies must stop thinking only about what they build—and start thinking about how people feel when they use it, when they hear about it, and when they invite it into their lives.

It’s not enough to be right. You have to resonate.

So whether you make medicines, microchips, or machines—remember: speak human.
That’s how the future listens.

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