Traditional marketing theory and current best practice of marketing strategy formation are out of sync. With current emphasis largely on flexible marketing strategies, there is a constant risk of branding strategy changing without careful consideration of consumer insight. So, the key challenge today is to equip managers and employees with the tools and skills to face this new paradigm. 
To confront this challenge Claire Brooks, President of ModelPeople Inc, proposes the Strategic Empathy approach. At its core, Strategic Empathy suggests that empathy with and understanding of customers or service users can be learned as a form of ‘muscle memory’, helping quick, constructive reactions in strategy and activation. In her new book, Marketing with Strategic Empathy: Inspiring Strategy with Deeper Consumer Insight, Brooks explains how marketers can use strategic empathy processes and tools to learn, activate and communicate deep insights and strategies for success.