​Brand experience and leveraging human connection

The World Health Organisation has reported that about one in six people are experiencing loneliness worldwide. At the same time, there have been discussions on the use of AI for companionship and what this may mean for human relationships.

So, in a world of constant societal and technological change, are we beginning to lose sight of the importance of leveraging human connection?

In 2024 The Team worked with Ellie’s Angels on a project that sought to use technology to close that isolation loop and create human connection for young people through affirmation and check-in.

Online is a start, but we also need a truer deeper human connection.

What’s the point of human connection?

When you stop to think about it, human connection is all around us, all the time.

Whether it’s that nod of acknowledgement as you pass someone by, discussing the latest book you’re reading with a colleague, holding the door open for someone – even the active choice of choosing to go to the cinema with a mate, despite being in complete silence for its duration, counts.

It’s about being together, but more than that, it’s about feeling together.

Since the dawn of our existence, we’ve been hardwired to crave this human connection stuff. We need it. Evolutionarily, it’s been about the fact that belonging to a group was vital for survival against threats.

Nowadays, there’s more and more research that shows the value of human and social connection when it comes to our mental health, physical health, and with that, our general lifespan. Some of that comes down to the direct effect of hormones – oxytocin, which helps us build trust and lower stress, released through moments like talking and hugging; dopamine, released during pleasurable social interactions, exciting and motivating us to seek out more time with others.

The value of human connection can also be seen in the adverse effects of its absence. Isolation is linked to higher rates of anxiety and depression, a greater risk of heart disease, and cognitive decline. From there, the effects further ripple outwards, into learning and the workplace, showing up in the grades students achieve and people’s ability to sustain employment.

Ultimately, human connection comes down to that sense of belonging, closeness, and value.

Why does human connection feel like it’s at an all time low?

It’s not too difficult to guess which typical culprits are contributing to this. Yes, we’re coming back to technology.

AI

This week everyone has been talking about AI and the danger it poses for society, but is it already causing us to unravel?

AI seems to be helping us work more efficiently, but with that, it also seems to be pushing us into further isolation. Instead of turning to others for our queries, concerns, and idea development, it’s easy to just send a prompt instead. Whilst quick, it’s easy to lose that diversity of perspectives and angles in the process.

Some research is even suggesting that the language AI outputs is beginning to creep into our own everyday speech – surely that’s a sign that points to needing more human interaction, not less. Additionally, information on AI being used for companionship and even therapy is only further emerging – moments where physical human connection simply isn’t comparable.

Social media

Social media is also worth naming here. Of course, it is a means of human connection, most handy for staying in touch over long distances or periods of time. But texting, voice notes, and video calls just aren’t quite the same as being in each other’s presence. It fundamentally differs from traditional, in-person social engagement, to the point that new theories are emerging on the potential social and psychological consequences this may have.

It’s long been established that social media can have adverse effects on mental health, tying back to the very factors related to isolation, pointing towards a multifaceted mechanism by which people may end up feeling more disconnected, not less. For example, just because you can see what everyone else is getting up to on social media, it doesn’t mean you’re truly connected to any of it. It comes down to the fact that whilst we may be living in the most technologically connected era of our existence, that just isn’t translating into that proper human connection.

Hybrid working

Hybrid and remote working speak to a different, but highly relevant, factor to many. With CIPD's 2025 report suggesting that 74% of organisations have hybrid working in place, its effects on human connection must be considered. Now, the flexibility is undeniably valuable, and it could be that the time saved travelling is being put back into family and friendship – however, for some that may not be the case. And, for all, it comes at the cost of far fewer chances to have a chat while making a cup of tea or catching up with a colleague about their weekend.

How are brands reacting to this?

Brand mascots

One potential sign that brands are trying to leverage human connection is the seeming re-rise of brand mascots. You can think of the mascot as an embodiment of relatability, personality, and connection. It’s like the brand has been given a lively body and mind, with the intention of making it feel human.

Where many brands are trying to stay caught up with social media trends and the AI revolution, risking coming across as purely functional or too reliant on automation and algorithms, a mascot can help tie them back down to something that feels real.

Even Apple recently found itself with a mascot through the figure being dubbed “Little Finder Guy” – a small, animated character with inspiration from its classic Finder icon. Interestingly, the mascot itself seemed to naturally catch on, owning the moment more than the product it was meant to be promoting. It clearly spoke to people, connected with them.

Brand mascots aren’t just for kids. They’re a way of bringing the human element into a brand in a creative and practical way. They are adaptable to social media, able to be kept consistent across all kinds of touchpoints, and simply have a different dimension than a logo could embody. Of course, they might not work for every brand, and only some ever become genuine distinctive assets of memorability and ownability, but they serve as just one example of how human connection finds itself into brands.

Purposeful presence

Speaking back towards the pros and cons of hybrid working, employers are increasingly pushing what some are referring to as “purposeful presence” – the idea that being in the office was never simply about travelling in, but about the quality of time people spend together whilst they’re there.

For some companies, this means encouraging employees to come back full time – take Instagram for example, with the decision to call staff back into the office five days a week deemed a way to establish a “winning culture”.

Of course, not all organisations are mandating such a thing, and the flexibility of hybrid working can’t be undersold. However, where employees are coming back into offices, whether that be for two days or five, there seems to be the opportunity to leverage human connection by encouraging and building collaborative spaces and opportunities – spaces that also mean fewer misunderstandings, or at least quicker clarification, when people can simply turn to one another rather than typing it out. It demonstrates that there’s purpose behind presence, not just presence for its own sake.

What more can be done?

It’s apparent that leveraging human connection is needed more than ever, and has clear application to both employees and consumers. Brands already seem to be responding on both fronts, but there’s always more that can be done – and no single lever is ever the whole answer.

Value alignment is one example worth brands considering more. Increasingly, consumers are expecting the businesses they buy from to align with their own values when it comes to factors like reducing environmental harm and standing up for social issues.

This is because brands play a role in people’s representations of who they are, or who they are trying to become – something the transformation economy is only making more apparent. Therefore, by standing up for people, a brand signals that it is fundamentally for people – and that’s a form of human connection like no other.

This value alignment matters just as much for employees too. No one wants to work somewhere that completely misaligns with what they stand for.

It’s also a useful reminder that customer value propositions and employee value propositions are distinct, but they are connected – and brands should be designed to cater to both.

Naturally, value alignment is just one route in, but the ultimate destination stays the same. In understanding that, it becomes clear that leveraging human connection isn’t something brands can solve with a campaign or internal programme alone. It has to show up for everyone that matters to the brand – customers and employees alike.