Launched on June 10th, National Empathy Day, the Mpathy Index by MullenLowe Romania is a unique proprietary tool that analyzes Romanian consumer perceptions of brands, attributing various levels of empathy to them. Among the six categories analyzed, the top empathetic brands according to Romanians are Gerovital (94/100), Nivea (85/100), Napolact (83/100), Kinder (81/100), and Heineken (80/100).

“Today, we live in a divided society, unaccustomed to the spirit of empathy. A society that goes through various stages of hate and sometimes gratuitous criticism. A society where the authorities have proven impotent, and people have substituted them with the brands in their daily lives, from which they expect to solve all the planet’s problems. In this context, we created the Mpathy Index by MullenLowe Romania as a valuable tool for brands in all industries because it provides a concrete and data-driven measure of their relationship with the consumer”, stated Hortensia Năstase, Vice-President Creative Services, Lowe Group.

According to the Mpathy Index by MullenLowe Romania, when asked what an empathetic brand is, 25% of Romanians did not know how to respond. The other 75% define brand empathy through attributes such as a focus on customer needs, social involvement and support for vulnerable communities, care and attachment to the customer, commitment to sustainability, quality, adaptability, and openness to an authentic dialogue with the public.

“If in human relationships, feeling is the key verb regarding the perception of empathy, when we talk about empathy in the context of brands, studying, developing, and implementing an elaborate process based on statistical analyses and in-depth research are the key words. The insights we have extracted from this endeavor highlight the importance of understanding consumers’ needs and expectations towards brands. One of the most important stages in this process is the ability to precisely calculate, with data and studies, the degree of empathy between the brand we communicate and the consumer who buys it”, stated Roxana Bleoajă, Head of Path, Lowe Group.

Although there is consensus regarding the traits of an empathetic brand, the study shows that their importance varies by generation. While for Gen X and Gen Y, the main attributes are responsiveness (62%) and trust (61%), for Gen Z, social responsibility ranks at the top of empathetic brand traits (61%).“Young generations of consumers are increasingly sensitive to how brands interact with them, how they keep their promises, and how they strive to understand their needs. A focus on being an «empathetic» brand ensures great chances for effective connection with Generation Z, a generation with growing purchasing power that will soon be making decisions for the future”, said Traian Năstase, Managing Partner, iSense Solutions.

To gain a broad and realistic view, the pilot study analyzed one of the most dynamic, innovative, and interactive industries: fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). It examined a diverse mix of brands—from local to international, from market leaders to niche products—to cover a wide range of situations and specific consumer needs.

Following a comprehensive regression analysis, the study facilitated the identification and quantification of the key pillars that shape the perception of empathetic branding in the FMCG industry. These findings are replicable across a variety of brands/categories at any given time. According to the study, the four essential pillars underlying the calculation of empathetic perception are: what it does for me, what it does for the environment, what it does for society, and how it behaves/its principles.

For the pilot project, 30 brands from six subcategories of the FMCG industry were selected: beer, soft drinks, confectionery, dairy products, detergents and home care, and cosmetics. The aggregated performance of the analyzed brands indicates a medium level of empathy at 67/100. However, empathy perception varies significantly between subcategories:

• Soft Drinks (50/100): This category has the lowest empathy index, largely due to the intensely publicized impact the category has had on individuals (health), society, and nature in recent years.
• Confectionery (66/100): The level of empathy perceived in this category is very close to the FMCG average, influenced by the actions that the analyzed brands take for society, as well as for nature.
• Detergents and home care (67/100): In this category, the perception of the level of demonstrated empathy is elevated by actions in the pillar of “what it does for me.”
• Beer (67/100): Similar to the previous category, the beer category aligns with the FMCG average. A particularity of the role played by each pillar in this category is that actions in the “what it does for society” pillar compensate for the slightly lower performance in the “what it does for me” pillar.
• Dairy products (70/100): The dairy products category ranks second in the most empathetic list, following cosmetics. In this case, the aspects that build the pillar of societal impact and that of environmental impact score better than the FMCG average.
• Cosmetics (79/100): Cosmetics represent the category with the highest empathy index, with scores up to 10 points higher on each pillar considered compared to the FMCG average.

The Mpathy Index by MullenLowe Romania proposes for each of the analyzed categories a series of customized actions that can further improve consumer perception. Medium and long-term priorities include loyalty programs, environmental protection actions, support for local communities, and clearer, consumer-centric communication.

Among the attributes that propelled the brands Gerovital (94/100), Nivea (85/100), Napolact (83/100), Kinder (81/100), and Heineken (80/100) to the top of brands considered empathetic by Romanians, the most important ones are authenticity, involvement in local community issues or support for local producers, environmentally friendly products, contribution to waste reduction, and collaboration with other brands to offer the best experiences.

The level of empathy of a brand is the real lever for improving performance, the bridge of connection, and the differentiator between being chosen in a moment and being coveted, appreciated, and rewarded consistently. And understanding correctly and well-founded the degree of empathy that the promoted brand projects towards consumers is that final piece of the puzzle that can open the door to the most authentic and personal dialogue with the target audience.

The study was launched through a creative communication campaign, the Mpathy Collection, which involved the creation of six unique shoe models, all constructed in a manner that metaphorically conveys the concept of empathy and the exercise of putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. The project was carried out in collaboration with the artist team from New Folder.

The Mpathy Index by MullenLowe Romania is based on data collected directly from consumers through an online quantitative study conducted by iSense Solutions, qualitatively processed with the support of Path, the Lowe Group unit specialized in data analysis and interpretation. The analysis was conducted with the participation of 620 respondents aged 18-55, representative of the urban environment.

The team that contributed to the creation of the Mpathy Index by MullenLowe Romania includes Andreea Golban, Bianca Dragu, Alexandru Ranete, Silviu Antohe (Creative), Roxana Bleoajă, Denisa Andrei, Anca Iuhas (Data & Strategy), Traian Năstase, Alina Zelezneac (Research), Adrian Radu (Production), Ana Stoica, Ciprian Dumitru, Andrei Bașa (Experiential), Anca Duță, Silviu Clinciu, Andra Panaitescu (Client Service), Oana Chiriac (Traffic).