After more than 14 years in communications, Vlada Marsh is convinced that human connection is more important than any platform, trend or algorithm.
“We are still craving human connection,” Vlada says. “People trust people more than abstract corporations. The brands we remember are usually connected to a strong personal story and the real person behind it.”
People Trust People
The rapid development of AI has made this principle even more important. As brands publish increasing amounts of automated content, audiences are becoming more sensitive to communication that feels artificial.
“People recognize when something was created without real care or understanding. In the age of AI, we value seeing the human beings behind a company more than ever.”
For Vlada, humanizing a brand means showing employees, listening to customers and understanding the real experiences of the people a business serves.
Kindness Crosses Borders
Vlada first discovered the universality of human connection at eleven, when she travelled from Belarus to stay with a family in Spain. She spoke little Spanish, while the family’s elderly grandmother Aurora primarily spoke Catalan and no English.
When other family members said the child could not understand her, the grandmother insisted: “¡Ella comprende todo!”—“She understands everything!”
“That experience taught me that kindness is a language we all understand,” Vlada says. “We may speak with different accents and have different habits, cultures and temperaments, but those differences are on the surface. We all want to be seen, respected, loved and connected.”
This understanding later shaped her work with audiences across the Czech Republic, Georgia, India and the United States.
Showing the Real People Behind a Service
At Sentry Management Solutions in New York, Vlada’s team wanted to create better understanding between American passengers and drivers who had come from Georgia and other countries.
Differences in language, accent and communication style could sometimes cause cultural misunderstandings. Instead of responding with abstract corporate messaging, the team decided to show the real people behind the transportation service.
The campaign began with a Georgian driver who shared his working day, his motivation and what helping passengers (particularly older adults and people with disabilities) meant to him. He also introduced audiences to Georgian food, wine and traditions.
“When someone is no longer an abstract driver, but a person with a heart, a family and a rich culture, people understand him differently,” Vlada explains. “We can speak English with different accents, but if we are willing to understand each other with an open heart, the connection will work.”
Brands Follow the Same Rules as Healthy Relationships
Vlada believes that relationships between brands and their audiences follow many of the same principles as healthy human relationships.
“We trust brands that are consistent, share our values, communicate honestly, listen to us and can admit and repair their mistakes.”
Emotional safety is created through every interaction: how customer support handles a problem, how a company communicates after a purchase, and even how it responds to a simple comment.
“Every interaction shows whether the brand is indifferent or attentive. If you want people to trust you, treat them with the same kindness, openness and respect that you would bring to a relationship with someone you care about.”
AI Can Accelerate a Process, but It Cannot Carry a Relationship
Vlada sees AI as a powerful assistant. It can support research, data analysis, translation, automation, routing and idea generation. It can make technical processes considerably faster.
However, she does not believe that efficiency should be confused with connection.
“Customers feel when a real person listens to them. They remember the name of the person who helped them, and they send gratitude because that interaction makes them feel connected. AI can accelerate a process, but it cannot carry a human relationship.”
Real Connection Begins with Listening
For brands publishing more content without creating loyalty, Vlada’s advice is to stop focusing only on output and begin researching the people they want to reach.
Brands can ask direct questions, study comments and investigate complaints. Platforms such as Threads can become valuable research tools by allowing companies to start open conversations and gather honest answers about what makes their audiences happy, confused, disappointed or hurt.
“Complaints are an excellent source of information,” Vlada says. “Do not take them personally. Use them to understand where the relationship needs to improve.”
Viral content may generate followers in the short term, but attention alone does not create emotional connection.
“Before publishing, ask why you are creating this content. Is it genuinely useful? Is it close to your audience’s heart, or are you simply trying to increase the numbers?”
Storytelling as a Form of Understanding
The same philosophy shapes Vlada’s book, It’s Not Scary to Be Alone: Starting a New Life After a Breakup, published in India in 2026.
While writing it, she communicated openly with readers, asked questions, gathered interviews and included perspectives beyond her own. She did not want to present herself as perfect or tell only one side of the relationship.
“People, as well as brands, make mistakes. And it’s okay. No one is perfect. Trust requires honesty, listening, responsibility and a willingness to explain what happened and what will change.”
Her background as a writer also influences the way she approaches strategic growth. When evaluating an opportunity, she asks not only how it can help a business grow, but whose problem it can solve and how it can improve people’s lives.
“Audiences are not just numbers or simply a source of revenue. They are people who want to communicate with other people. Be human first, and build everything else from there.”
— Vlada Marsh
Writer, Communications Strategist and Author of It’s Not Scary to Be Alone
