Marketing to consumers feels like a tender subject, what with the state of the world right now. The way we talk to our customers has to be more sympathetic than ever before, and as a result, has created a culture of ‘mindful marketing’ which feels unprecedented and yet has propelled marketers forward in 2022. We want to use these insights to drive real and authentic change, using digital innovation to reach more people, in a more efficient and mindful way.
The humans at the centre of it all
Marketing involves one human speaking (directly or indirectly) to another human. This means a customer-centric approach is absolutely necessary for best serving your audience. The whole idea is to thoughtfully align marketing functions with consumers’ interests in mind, and avoid taking up wasteful, unethical, or selfish marketing practices.
An example of this spawns from the Covid-19 pandemic, in which a global scurry to buy toilet paper led manufacturers, Cottonelle, to deliver a direct and personal message to their consumers with the aim to put minds at ease. Urging people to ‘stock up on generosity’, they simultaneously launched the campaign #ShareASquare, which donated $1 million to charity and over 1 million toilet rolls to people in need. A simple, yet highly effective campaign; it was timely in its response to the pandemic, had a charitable cause at its heart and spoke directly to consumers with uniquely direct conversation.
A catalyst for positive change
It was undoubtedly the pandemic that intertwined mindfulness into the practice of marketing, and even if that’s the only good thing to come out of 2020, we are grateful. The way we talk to consumers is no longer sales-focused drivel; it’s authentic and real. You can sense immediately that there are real humans on the frontline of these campaigns, discussing authentic and lived experiences.
Brands like Estrid, whose recognisable Gen-Z marketing campaigns, and fresh, young brand voice, have spoken out on the crisis in Ukraine. Whilst acknowledging there is nothing in their remit that they can do, they have provided resources and asked for further educational content from their consumers, which could potentially help others.
It’s demonstrating that marketing doesn’t always have to be product-focused. Rather, marketers can speak solely about brand values and pillars and still drive consumers to invest in the company.
Taking a mindful approach
Mindfulness is now more necessary than ever for marketers, and there are plenty of ways to implement it:
- Communicate with your audience as individuals and speak with a voice that is both human and personal, but also authentic to your brand
- Always aim to build relationships over transactions when it comes to engaging with your audience
- The focus of your content should also be on your audience rather than yourself – it should be “serving” not “selling”
- Initiate and participate in conversations that aim to help or provide solutions, rather than pushing a product or service
- Teach not tell and take feedback from your users seriously
- Create meaningful and thoughtful content that’s been specifically designed to add value to your target audience
- Practice reciprocity. Share knowledge and shine the spotlight on others, rather than just inwardly
Physical and digital touchpoints
We’re in the business of live experience here at Marble LDN, so when we create authenticity in our communication we ultimately want this to translate to physical experiences. Through our partnership with Sisterhood, we were taught about mindfulness, particularly in the sphere of promoting diverse and representative voices.
Our activation in Covent Garden was a chance for young girls to meet with mentors in a physical space, to get guidance for writing and storytelling. We translated the thought-provoking and often hard-hitting message behind Sisterhood’s brand into a physical, lived space.
Mindful Marketing humanises your brand. It includes creating meaningful connections with your audience which influence brand loyalty and emphasises the value of your product or service to your users. It helps you to rethink your customer journey and find ways to attract users through empathetic interactions. In conclusion, it’s all about thinking about long-term relationships and sustainable revenue over conversions and immediate sales.
At Marble, we think Mindful Marketing is the future, and we’d love to help your business create more purposeful and considered interactions with your audience. So, if you’d like to find out more about how we can help, get in touch with our team today on +44 (0)203 011 5388 or by using our contact form.