Synergy between people and technology is a long-term gain

Our lives are increasingly taking place online. Follow news, connect with family and friends, shop, listen to music, book holidays, and support charities. And also offline; outside, on the road, in the supermarket, we continuously leave pieces of information about ourselves behind with our phones. "We share this information, but we don't always realise it."

Ferry Hoes, the co-founder of the Brand Humanizing Institute, is speaking. At our Kentaa Fundraising Inspiration Day, he, as a keynote speaker, took us into the world of data, the power and at the same time the overestimation of technology, and the underestimation of human skills. A stimulating story that makes us think. In this article, we give you a summary of his plea for Brand Humanizing, a human way of innovating.

Data, data, data.... and then comes man
Technology is everywhere. Organisations want to collect as much data as possible. To know what customers do, what they read, where they click, what they want and what they don't like. Online but also offline, customers are part of experiments, while they themselves do not (always) know. Gathering this knowledge is aimed at seeing what is popular, getting people to perform certain actions, to ensure that they spend as much money as possible. You can call it manipulation. That sounds dirty and... it is. But this is the standard nowadays.

Manipulation of psychology in combination with data and technology means money. And making money (or collecting it in the case of a charity) is of course not wrong, provided that the way it’s done is legitimate. A lot of technology, which uses algorithms, for example, does not look at people, but at data points. That's what algorithms can see and connect to each other. Man comes last. Just like the question of whether something is ethically justifiable. Because is it okay to offer people with a gambling addiction an attractive ticket to Las Vegas? A person says no, but technology says yes, why not?

Underestimating the skills of people
Organisations often overestimate the power of technology, because technology can also frustrate – think of the faulty chatbots or suddenly seeing advertisements everywhere of something that you have briefly viewed once. At the same time, organisations underestimate the strength and skills of people, because people can add something. A personal note, a listening ear, attention and empathy, are something that technology cannot offer. In order to be future-proof, something has to change. Data and technology should not be leading, but supportive. We need to innovate in a human way because technology and people have different skills and these have to find and reinforce each other. The synergy of human and technological labour ultimately means more long-term profit. Also in fundraising.

Your brand is everything you do and have as an organisation. You have to be careful with that. And above all, you have to keep it human. Branding & Creative Marketing (promoting your brand), Programming & Automation (the technology and automated processes), Human Sciences & Research (the understanding of people and your target group) and Emotional Intelligence & Ethics (something that technology cannot take over) must come hand in hand. And it can. With Brand Humanizing. By caring about the people around you. By combining technology with the skills and empathy of humans.

Humanising processes
As an organisation, look at the processes that exist and make sure you understand what software you use and how this technology works. Identify which processes can be and/or remain automated and see how you can further humanise these processes, so that human capital can be better used. And at the same time make use of the knowledge and attention – the warmth – of human beings, who know and see what is happening around them.

A good example of where you can apply this as a fundraising organisation is in the customer journey. Those of a donor, a fundraiser, or an online collector. This is where people and technology come together. Start from the story and go from there. Empathetic, human and with the right information. As much as possible, choose the means that your supporters prefer. Use a combination of video, photo and text, which leads to donation or raising more money. Then use data to see how you get people to the right place as quickly as possible, because the shorter the journey, the greater the chance of success. For example, use data to see where most people drop out and ask less rather than more. Go through your journeys yourself, test (continuously) and adjust when necessary. By combining human skills & ethics with psychology, data and technology, you choose the long term and ultimately more income.

How does this story land with Kentaa? Kentaa supports the human side. Our platforms are made for people, where the use of technology is supportive of people and their purpose. Our platforms offer functionalities such as AB testing, and customisable email journeys, but also links with other smart software for, for example, mobile journeys and increased experience at events. Our platforms support donors, collectors or fundraisers by making it as easy as possible to donate or raise money. The technology serves the purpose.