Systemic Relatability Effect

🧠 The Art of Making Audiences Project Themselves and the difference between ā€œthat’s meā€ and ā€œthat could be meā€

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🧠 Systemic Relatability: The Art of Making Audiences Project Themselves and the difference between ā€œthat’s meā€ and ā€œthat could be meā€

Most brands chase relatability by describing their customer in detail. But the more precisely they define someone, the less room they leave for the audience to step in. When you describe too much, you stop people from seeing themselves. 

Real relatability isn’t ā€œthat’s like meā€ , it’s ā€œthat could be me.ā€ That subtle shift creates projection, and projection drives behavior.

Why Most Relatable Ads Still Miss

When brands over-index on persona traits, they build ads that reflect identity , but don’t invite transformation.

The result is creative that affirms the viewer’s reality, without offering them a doorway to a better one.

That’s recognition. It’s comfortable. But it doesn’t move people.

What Systemic Relatability Actually Looks Like

It’s creative that holds enough structure to feel grounded, but enough space for the viewer to insert themselves.

Three principles make that possible:

  1. Specific world, undefined self Use vivid environments , late-night scrolls, open tabs, full sinks , but let the viewer define who they are inside it.
  2. Leave intentional gaps Don’t close the loop. A little tension, a little incompletion. It pulls people in.
  3. Design for tension, not traits Forget age and lifestyle targeting. Focus on the internal conflict they’re already wrestling with.

Real Example: One skincare brand swapped ā€œYou’re a busy woman managing skin healthā€ for ā€œYou ever feel like your skin’s ignoring you?ā€ 

Same visuals, same CTA. Saves jumped 28 percent and CTR rose 19 percent. The difference? The new line didn’t label the viewer, it pulled them into a feeling they already knew.

Framework: Mirror, Mask, Gradient

Use all three to guide belief across campaigns.

Relatability depends on balance. Too vague, it fades. Too exact, it excludes.

Neurons helps test if your creative leaves the right space for projection. It analyzes visual hierarchy, clarity, and flow behavior to show whether you’re opening a doorway or closing it, Book a free Demo here and watch your creatives win! 

The best creative doesn’t label the viewer. It gives them a place to arrive. Not a mirror. A doorway.


Together with Modash

5 Tips for Scaling Influencer Marketing - Straight From the Experts

Scaling an influencer program isn’t just more creators = more reach.

It’s more emails, more pressure, more tabs, and more platforms promising to ā€œhandle it allā€ (until they don’t pay the creators and make your brand look bad - you know who we’re talking about 😬).

Here’s the smarter way: stay in the driver’s seat and upgrade your workflow. Modash’s free guide breaks down 5 simple steps to scale - straight from influencer marketers who’ve done it right.

And when your campaigns are about to break your soul, Modash helps you keep it all together:

šŸ” Search +250M creators to find the perfect match 

āœ‰ļø Streamline outreach without losing the human touch

šŸŽ Send products, share codes & more - in one tab 

āœ… Track every step without spreadsheets-from-hell

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šŸš€  Reel of the Day

The story starts with everyday urban mishaps: lipstick fails, coffee spills, missed trains. These aren’t just physical accidents, they tap into a deeper shared female experience of being overstretched in public life. The voiceover is cheeky but empathetic, immediately forming an emotional bond with viewers.

There’s a stark shift from bustling streets and spilled drinks to plush interiors and soft robes. This contrast activates the ā€œdeserve theory,ā€ if the viewer feels her exhaustion, they’ll feel she deserves recovery too.

The mispronunciations (ā€œLa mouse,ā€ ā€œLa balmā€) act as a charm tactic. Hailey’s corrections inject her personality and humor, softening Dior’s luxury image. It reframes the brand from elite to intimate, high-end but approachable.

Broader Insights:

Unlike sterile influencer skincare content, this reel tells a full narrative, conflict, climax, resolution. It blends short-form comedy, day-in-my-life realism, and luxurious visuals into one. Plus, the voiceover isn’t background fluff, it drives the whole emotional rhythm, making Dior feel both luxurious and lighthearted.  


Thanks for reading this edition! Keep pushing boundaries, testing ideas, and staying inspired. See you in the next edition with more ways to ignite your marketing success. 🄰