Klarna’s CMO has urged marketers to look beyond the data and focus on creating aesthetically driven products and services that resonate on a human level.
During a live podcast at Money 20/20 Europe, David Sandstrom warned that as access to data has grown, the industry risks losing sight of the creative craft needed to make customers feel something.
He adds that humans are more complex than marketers often think, therefore he urged them to look beyond the numbers and instead focus on creating experiences centred around touch and feel to tap into customers’ human element.
He said: “We are trying to infuse, high-tech, high touch into Klarna.”
This is particularly important as Sandstrom explained that customers aren’t typically loyal to specific features, but to the feelings those features create.
While many companies now offer buy now, pay later (BNPL) services like Klarna’s, he said the company’s success lies in the emotional experience it builds around the feature.
Rather than simply offering a ‘pay in three’ option, Klarna aims to tap into the excitement of shopping and extend that emotional journey—turning the payments process into one that also delivers a sense of relief, according to Sandstrom.
To achieve this level of craft, Sandstrom highlighted the importance of aesthetics, especially given that “even the most boring industries are becoming beautiful.”
“Design runs through everything we [Klarna] do,” he said.
He noted that even Klarna’s quarterly reports are designed with aesthetics in mind. This approach aims to send a message that if the company puts this much care into the smallest, most mundane details, it likely puts the same care into its customers.
This strategy was inspired by American Express’s marketing approach, which centres on using design and branding to make their credit cards feel aspirational with an aim of turning everyday transactions into moments that convey status and style, he added.