Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba
It’s the first week of December. The red ribbon is pinned to lapels, hashtags bloom across timelines, and corporate logos glow orange in solidarity with the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. For a moment, it feels like we’re all on the same side—united against stigma, violence, and silence.
But then the tills beep. The sales team hits its targets. The customer care line rings. And just like that, the campaign ends where the customer begins.
In our world of marketing and customer service, we often speak of “understanding the customer.” We segment, we survey, we script empathy. But what happens when the customer walks in with invisible wounds? When the woman buying school shoes is also hiding bruises under her sleeves? When the man asking about funeral cover is quietly living with HIV?
Do we see them? Or do we serve the sale and not the soul?
The Unspoken in the Showroom
Last week, I visited a furniture store with a friend who recently left an abusive marriage. She was rebuilding her life—new flat, new job, new beginnings. As we browsed, a sales rep approached with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “This one’s perfect for a family,” he said, gesturing to a dining set. “Strong enough for a man’s weight.”
My friend flinched. I watched her shrink into herself, the way survivors often do when the world assumes a life they no longer live.
It wasn’t malice. It was marketing. But it was also a missed moment.
That rep didn’t know her story. But he also didn’t leave room for it. His pitch was built on assumptions—about gender, about family, about who deserves to be seen. And in doing so, he sold a product but lost a person.
The Cost of Ignoring Context
World AIDS Day and the 16 Days of Activism are not just calendar events. They are reminders that our customers are not blank slates. They carry histories, diagnoses, and daily battles into our shops, salons, surgeries, and sales calls.
Yet too often, our service scripts are sanitized. We train for objections, not for trauma. We reward smiles, not sensitivity. We celebrate the “customer is always right” mantra, but rarely ask: what if the customer is hurting?
In a dual-currency economy where every dollar is hard-earned, dignity is part of the transaction. And dignity is not just about how we speak—it’s about what we choose to acknowledge.
Marketing That Heals, Not Just Sells
Imagine a pharmacy that doesn’t just stock ARVs but trains its staff to greet patients without judgment. A bank that doesn’t just offer loans but designs survivor-friendly financial products. A supermarket that doesn’t just run a 16 Days poster but ensures its security guards are trained to spot signs of distress.
These are not CSR add-ons. They are market strategies rooted in humanity.
Because here’s the truth: people remember how you made them feel long after they’ve forgotten what you sold. And in a market flooded with options, emotional safety is a competitive edge.
The Campaign After the Campaign
Every year, brands post glossy graphics on November 25 and December 1. They pledge support. They change their profile pictures. But what happens on December 11?
Does the receptionist still laugh at “wife jokes”? Does the call centre still dismiss a woman’s complaint as “emotional”? Does the sales team still push “family packages” without asking who the family is?
If your campaign ends when the calendar flips, it was never a campaign. It was a costume.
True brand activism is not seasonal. It’s systemic. It shows up in your hiring, your training, your product design, your refund policy. It lives in the small print and the side glance. It’s the difference between a brand that performs empathy and one that practices it.
What Customers Are Really Buying
When a woman walks into your store after leaving an abusive home, she’s not just buying curtains. She’s buying control. When a man living with HIV signs up for a gym membership, he’s not just chasing fitness. He’s reclaiming his body.
Your product is the vehicle. But the real purchase is power.
And if your service can’t hold space for that—if your staff can’t meet pain with presence—then you’re not just losing sales. You’re losing trust. You’re losing relevance.
The Market Is Watching
In a world where customers are more vocal, more values-driven, and more connected than ever, silence is no longer neutral. It’s a statement. And in some cases, it’s complicity.
So this December, as we pin ribbons and post hashtags, let’s ask the harder question: what does our brand sound like when the campaign ends? What does our service feel like to someone who’s been silenced?
Because the future belongs to brands that don’t just sell to the customer—but stand with them.
*Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba is a Marketing, Sales & Customer Service Consultant. For suggestions and training, contact her at [email protected] or +263 712 979 461 / 0719 978 335 / 0772 978 335.